I may sound like an apologist here, but I think the Rockets want to see Harden get some work doing iso. It may be a low percentage play, but it's THE play to use when other plays break down, or when defenses take away other options. One of the reasons to have a star is to have a play when there are no plays. And for better or worse, Harden is that for us. Even if we get a legit big, say Aldridge, and become a contender in two years, Harden will still be our goto guy at end of games. And he'll have to be able to score on iso plays. Might as well sart working on it now.
Again... Harden had mismatches all over the place in the Knicks game and with Chandler in foul trouble there wasn't going to be much resistance from any of the help defenders. Kurt Thomas is old and slow. Novak is one of the worst defenders in the league. Felton, JR Smith, Jason Kidd, etc... none of these guys can guard Harden one-on-one. I don't see the problem with going right at the mismatch. We're trying to win the game right? Also, I know what I saw... there's no way we ran 10 straight ISOs without any picks setting the offense up. No chance. I'm not sure some of you guys realize this, with all this "why so much ISO" talk, but guys going one-on-one in transition when the lane is wide open is not an isolation and neither is guys going away from screens or splitting the D on pick&rolls. That's a pick&roll resulting in an ISO -- generally because the defense is overplaying it one way or the other. What generally matters is the starting set - not what the play results in, which is also why Synergy charted plays are mostly useless. They chart what the play results in, not what set it up. Now that's not to say the Rockets don't run any ISOs. They sure do. I just don't think it's nearly as much as some of you guys make it out to be and usually it's at least off some kind of pick&roll action.
Will do. I'll go for a quick run and grab some dinner afterwards, so it'll take a few hours before I get it up.
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZVKzTJfP_r0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> I left out all the possesions that wouldn't have added anything to this discussion: all fast breaks, the two BOBs (one was a screen the screener for an open Harden 3, the other one was a broken play that resulted in a Parsons fade-away made basket), the one SOB (a Parsons post-up on Felton where Parsons got blocked from behind by Kidd), one half-court possesion (Harden swung the ball early in the offense to Parsons who quickly handed it off to Cook, who then took an ill-adviced off-balance jumper) and another half-court possesion where Lin made a poor decescion in early offense -- picked up his drrible at the FT line, which stallled the offense and lead to a Lin ISO with the floor poorly spaced, resulting in a Lin fade-away brick. With that in mind, all other 2nd quarter possessions in order: 1.) Downscreen resulting in a Harden ISO This looks like down-screen for a Harden quick hitter, but the Knicks switch, so with Prigioni on Harden Sampson calls for a Harden ISO. As you can see the defense is overloading here with the Knicks realizing there's no way Prigioni can guard Harden. The defense having to rotate puts them back on their heels and while Parsons won't able to drive by his defender every time, you generally like your odds if the defense has to double a player or overload. 2.) Early offense Call this an ISO if you will, but really it's just Harden bringing up the ball in early offense and swinging it to Parsons, who was on fire up to that point and had some space, because the defense was anticipating Harden going ISO. 3.) High pick&roll Noticte the Knicks lineup here. They have Melo playing center and Novak playing PF. Setting the screen as high and in the fashion the Rockets did here makes it tough for the Knicks to hedge and thus Harden had a wide-open lane against a backpedaling Melo. 4.) Slot pick&roll The Knicks anticipate the pick&roll here with Thomas coming way out to hedge/trap and the weakside defenders way out of position, again putting them on their heels, allowing Parsons to penetrate and set up Smith for the dunk. 5.) Early offense high pick&roll Kurt Thomas is playing the pick&roll soft here, allowing Harden to step right into an open three. 6.) High pick&roll setting up a Harden ISO Perhaps Harden could have hit Greg Smith on the roll, but the passing angle wasn't great and you don't want to force it. JR Smith gives Harden enough space to step into his shot. Harden might have settled, but the look was decent. If you want to argue that the Rockets shouldn't have to go top of the key ISO against that Knicks lineup, I'd very much agree with you, though. The initial pick&roll was a good play-call, the pick just wasn't set high enough and the angle wasn't great. 7.) High pick&roll Pretty much the same play with Lin instead of Harden as the ball-handler. 8.) Early offense high pick&roll Kurt Thomas is out of position to hedge and thus Harden gets into the open lane against a backpedaling Thomas. Novak being close to the basket doesn't even matter. He's a non-factor. 9.) 1-3 high pick&roll Not really sure what the Rockets were trying to do here. Looks like Lin just decided to go 1on1 because Melo switched on him. 10.) High pick&roll Thomas is out of position to hedge again, allowing Lin to turn the corner and get right to the basket. 11.) High pick&roll Same play, only with Harden instead of Lin as the ball-handler and Tyson Chandler coming all the way out for the hard hedge and Asik re-screening for Harden. Chandler coming out that far leaves the the paint empty and once Asik has a step on Chandler, all Chandler can do is commit the foul. 12.) Early offense high pick&roll Harden sees an open lane, collapses the defense and Morris has a wide-open 3. 13.) Harden ISO set up by high pick&roll Looks like this one was going to be an ISO all along. The pick set by Cook appears to simply get set to set up the proper spacing. Knicks keying in on Harden again, Novak out of position, Cook has enough space to step in an open 3. 14.) Harden ISO set up by high pick&roll Also looks like an ISO all the way. Again, the Knicks have no one to protect the rim out there and JR Smith's D is so bad, Harden just goes right by him. 15.) Harden ISO set up by high pick&roll This one is an ISO for sure. Harden obviously feeling it at this point, Rockets going to him. Generally not too bad of an idea. Rockets space the floor well here. Brewer gives him way too much space. 16.) Early offense Again, call this an ISO if you will, but really Harden is just being instinctive here, seeing the opening and blowing right by Felton. Just can't finish. 17.) Harden ISO Riding Harden at this point. 18.) Harden ISO See above. 19.) Early offense high pick&roll Defense isn't set, Harden draws in all the attention, Parsons moves to an open space without his defender even noticing. So, if we count count the first two possession as ISOs and all the ISOs that got set up by a pick&roll, we're looking at 8 ISOs, 9 pick&rolls and 5 "others", not counting fast breaks. The Rockets did go ISO-heavy towards the end of the second quarter, but given the defensive personal that was out there for the Knicks and the flow Harden was in, I honestly don't see the problem.
Hate to say i told you so...but yeah i told u so. Nothings changed. Feast or famine by the 3 and dependent on isos to close out games. This teams nothing more than a 2nd rounder with this style.
