No one is talking about Harden's bad defense at the end of regulation?

I'm gonna post what I posted in the team thread.

At the last minute, Harden shouldn't have had the ball. Lin shouldn't have had the ball. The entire starters shouldn't have had the ball because they all should have been in a timeout figuring out the last play.

I'm sure if Harden feels really off he would have told the team to give Lin the ball just like the timeout when he hurt his ankle. After that TO, Lin was initiating and driving everything to give Harden a rest.

It is because they didn't get to figure out any final play, Harden had to take the hero ball because that's what McHale wants. So it's not Harden or Lin's fault, they both just played by the book. McHale is to blame for the last play because he didn't TO for them to clear their heads.

To add my point of view: I think Lin should have the last ball over Harden ONLY DURING that one time. In all other situations Harden should have the ball because of his %. But damn that last Lin drive over 4 big guys was so promising that I keep thinking his has the momentum to do it again or at least draw a foul.

 

they both made mistakes...

after getting the AND1

Lin should have driven the ball in instead of trying a stupid alley oop

and Harden shouldnt have called for the ball to stand above the 3 point line...

dribble it a bit so he could take a contested 3 pointer


he should have driven it in too...

... this team is young and will make mistakes,

they aint going to beat the good teams...

but they are young, and play hard...

cant ask for more than that...

 

Harden should pass the ball more. There was no ball movement. He is a hog. Once he got it. All four.guys started to watch. All iso harden. needs team ball. Not a mj kobe wanna be show.

 

Just be quiet

 

Morris had hot hands.

*Wink* *Wink*

 

Aldridge deserved the double team. He commands one; otherwise, he'll score at will. However, Harden shouldn't have been the person to help. The rule is not to help when you're man is one pass away. It should've been Lin from the point, or somebody from the weak side. It's early in the season and evident that they haven't had much practice at this. Like any good basketball player, Harden felt like he had to help and double Aldridge. Aldridge simply made the easy pass to Matthews who drained that three. If Lin would've been the help man on the double, Aldridge would've had to pass out to Matthews and he would've had to swing to the open man at the point and on to the weak side, at which point, everybody is supposed to rotate.

 

Mchale spoke of this. He said it was a breakdown because Harden is still not yet familiar on how they want to defend this type situation. In either case these things sometimes happen in an 82 game season and Harden did not get brought here for his defense. I agree that he should be held accountable but also understand that is not his strength and his biggest role to this team.

Here is the link look under the Mchale quotes.

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/blazers-burn-rockets-ot

 

I like how you use veteran in quotes for a guy with a 2010 join date. And I don't care either way but the poster did mention Lin when he started with the And 1.

 

yup- total agreement here. Well said!

 

hey STFU alright?

 

Lin was helping on Aldridge... and he was getting burned by a rookie who shoot the ball well at the end of the game

 

Hasn't it ever occurred to you that oh, I dunno, Harden would be gassed by the end of regulation? He's only played 42 mins and 38 mins the previous games, and then he turned his ankle this game?

Why are you nitpicking just one play when the entire game is made up of like 1000 plays? When you're tired expect lapses like these to happen, not just with Harden but with the entire squad. I mean what do you expect harden to do, apologize after he carried the squad the past two games? If you want to be really nitpicky about it, Linsanity should have happened by now so Harden could have gotten some rest.

 

Agree, the last play when Rockets was up by 3, the coach should have called a timeout to regrouping this young team. The defense strategy should have been to let the opponent team has a two points play, then the ball will be in Rockets hands, but NO three points, period !!!

 

Yup, I've said it in the game thread, this one is all on McHale to me. No TO at the end of regulation cost them the game.

 

Yup, this lose is definitely on McHale. He should have told the young players to let go a two point play and don't foul the shooter, NO 2+1 or 3 point play! That way, at the end, Rockets were still up one point and also had the ball in their hands to try one more play.

Rockets already sealed the win when Lin made that 2+1 play with less than 50 seconds left on the clock.

Actually Blazers made similar mistake, they shouldn't have fouled Lin when Lin tried to make that last minute clutch play. They should let Lin gets 2 points, then Blazers had much better chance to tie the game.

Well, McHale gave them the chance to tie the game anyway.

 

eh? i thought you can't time out when you don't have the possession, or am i wrong?

 

after Lin got the last three points, yes, either team can call a time out.