[SI] The Beard: James Harden Untangles His Life And Game

Sydeffect · Apr 16, 2017

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/02/28/j...ockets-mike-dantoni?xid=socialflow_twitter_si

Tensions between Harden and Howard, simmering for years, boiled over. Howard wanted early post feeds from Harden; Harden wanted high ball screens from Howard. In the final seconds of a two-point loss at New Orleans in December, Harden waited for a screen from Howard that never came, and his subsequent drive was swallowed up. Then, in Dallas in April, it happened again. A player who joined the Rockets midseason eyed Harden and Howard, taking opposite routes out of the locker room. “When you come here,” a veteran counseled, “you have to pick your side.” It was up to a 36-year-old interim coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, to manage the mess. Interventions backfired.

It might have been easier if Harden and Howard just threw punches—or at least posted subtweets. But they are both non-confrontational by nature, so Harden stewed in silence, often ducking out of Toyota Center before he had time to stretch or ice. He even drifted apart from Beverley, his closest friend on the team. “He was just ... distant,” Beverley says. “The losing was really hard on him.” At Artesia High and Arizona State, in OKC and Houston, Harden did nothing but win. After shootarounds last season, he routinely parked his Bentley across from the arena on Clay Street and vented to Scott Pera, his high school coach who is now an assistant at Rice.
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clutz · Apr 16, 2017

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php...es-harden-untangles-his-life-and-game.280956/

don grahamleone · Apr 16, 2017

We've come a long way. Today gives that article so much more weight. Howard sitting on a loss and not performing, James riding high in this win. We took the fork in the road and it was the best path no doubt.

RocketsFido · Apr 17, 2017

Howard is a decent player but his drama just holds back the team too much.

engr chris · Apr 17, 2017

Just imagine how good this team would be with Howard on P&Rs. What a waste of talent.

FTW Rockets FTW · Apr 17, 2017

engr chris said: ↑

Just imagine how good this team would be with Howard on P&Rs. What a waste of talent.
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At this point I'd take the center combo of Capela and Nene over Dwight. There is something to be said about chemistry and playing for one another.

engr chris · Apr 17, 2017

FTW Rockets FTW said: ↑

At this point I'd take the center combo of Capela and Nene over Dwight. There is something to be said about chemistry and playing for one another.
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Yup I know. What I was saying is that what if Dwight accepted his role on this team. We would have been unstoppable

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[SI] The Beard: James Harden Untangles His Life And Game

Sydeffect Member

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