The Harden isolation dribble for 22 seconds step back 3 has GOT TO STOP.

I don't understand how you don't call a timeout, throw Lou in the game if need be, ****ing anything to prevent what was happening? I mean sit harden if you have to but Jesus just the same **** 5 times in a row, looked like we didn't want to win

 

Harden hasn't guarded power forward as much throughout the entire regular season as he has in the playoffs. He doesn't want to do that. Because it's a lot of work. But he's actually very good at it. And as I stated before the playoffs started, him defending the 4 is the only chance we've got to get past the Spurs. Because we have nobody else to defend them. Literally nobody. Our two best defensive players at the 4 are him and Ariza.

Harden's issues in crunch time are directly related to his desire to be the primary scorer and sole playmaker on the court at all times. Harden doesn't want to ever play off the ball save an occasional possession when he is winded. He wants to control every possession and make all the decisions even when the defense is so good that they are dictating giving the ball up to another playmaker. Harden is directly responsible for the acquisition of all these one-dimensional scorers/shooters around him with the absence of anybody else in the rotation that can go up top, set the offense, run the set, and get a great look. When teams take away Harden he either forces the shot, or the pass, or the drive. The turnovers pile up. And Harden shooting efficiency falls off the table. Harden already knows these guys can't create. He picked them that way so the team would be 100% reliant on his magic.

That is selfish. Hopefully this changes this summer. Because if it doesn't, we're going to be also-rans for the entire Harden era.

 

He will still find a way to take twice as many 3's as everyone else, or turn the ball over.

 

That is true to a certain extent, I guess. When Harden's just dribbling, or worse, standing around at the top of the key, the other players could at least set some offball screens - not necessarily to get something out of it, but to keep the defense engaged. But on the other side, if Harden wants a screen, he has to call it out somehow and not just look around annoyed. He is the PG, the playmaker, after all. The other guys not knowing what to do falls back on James not calling out any plays.
I still can't believe we didn't win this game. It was right there for the taking - Spurs missing tons of shots at the end, Kawhi hurt... This will really test the team's mentality going into Game 6. Let's see what our guys are made of, especially Harden.

 

That is really bad. What is going on? Was a play not called? Did Capela have a brain fart?

 

He is decent, for his size, guarding 4's. What I have a problem with, is the assumption that his having to guard LMA was a reason for his awful performance in overtime. As if, somehow doing extra work against Aldridge made him incapable of running offense for several minutes at a time. That's just ridiculous.

The Rockets best offense is when Harden has the ball in his hands and penetrates. He consistently finds open shots for shooters, or scores for himself. I didn't wan't to see him pass the ball to Eric Gordon, so that Gordon could try to create the way Harden does. I wanted Harden to drive, and either score or create. THAT is what makes the Rockets the second best offensive team in the league. He HAS to control the possessions for this team to be successful.

What I have literally been saying all year is:

1) Too many mental mistakes lead to awful turnovers
2) Shot selection issues
3) Poor defense

All of these issues were front and center last night, and they are what is going to continue to keep him from being on the true championship level with the other elites.

Yes, I know the other guys have better teams (besides Kawhi), but even if they get better players around him, he is going to have to correct these issues if he wants to be the best player on a championship team.

He lost last night against: LMA , Mills, Green, Simmons , Ginobili. That team is not more talented than his. This series isn't about talent, it is about execution. These teams are pretty well matched.

I don't agree that Harden chose the players around him. Morey chose the players that he could afford, and would fit in the system. As of right now, Harden has no choice but to be the sole creator. Shooting ISO pull up threes and making awful turnovers is all on him though.

 

No choice but to be the sole creator, eh?

Do

You

Really

Think

Morey

Is

So

Dumb

Not

To

Have

Another

Playmaker

On

The

Roster?

Give me a break man. No GM or coach is that dumb. Well.........maybe Kroenke. But.....just give me a break with that nonsense. This roster is constructed to Harden's specifications to make him happy so he'd extend and stay here an extra season. No legit GM would ever construct a roster with only one guy that can set and run the offense without being coerced to do so. Bro, this team and roster is exactly what Harden wants. Harden is the defacto president of basketball operations and both Morey and MDA report to him. I'm not talking literally of course. I'm talking figuratively.

 

If I were Hardens team mates, Id pass the ball to harden or else be in the doghouse.

 

Tried that on a couple of occasions but missed the passes badly.

 

So you are saying Morey had the chance to put another legitimate creator/scorer on this team, and he just chose not to to so Harden would extend? That's the most ridiculous theory I've ever heard, honestly.

And no, Ricky ****ing Rubio or whatever obscure player you will name doesn't count as a legitimate secondary creator.

 

Lol that's what he is getting at. Wait for it. He is building it up

 

i'll get the popcorn ready.

 

Ummmmmmmm, I'm saying no GM in their right mind would put together a roster with only one creator and expect to win anything. You can deflect what I said to something else in about attempt to obfuscate my question. But the question remains.

Do you really think Morey is so dumb to build a roster with one, just one creator?

 

Who are the two creators on the spurs?

 

Parker, Mills, Kawhi, Manu can all create. Additionally, when Pau gets the ball in the low block, he can create.

 

Harden's iso hero ball is like having nincampoop Steve Francis all over again and when I decided to stop watching Rockets ball till he was traded and we got Tmac.

 

If those are creators , then Gordon, Williams, Beverley, Harden are creators.

 

No. If you can't see the difference there I don't know what to say. Lou and Gordon are straight line drivers. They go to the hole to finish. Bev is a 3&D player. He doesnt create looks for others and then find them. Harden is a creator. But he only creates off his scoring. There's no comparison between the Spurs ball handlers/shoot creators and our players other then Harden.

 

When is the last time you have seen patty mills do anything other than a straight line drive or shoot a three? Also bev being a three and D guy is not true at all. He runs the second unit, He drives and kicks, runs p&r, has a floater. He is a more creative player than mills. Gordon is a better scorer than manu at this point in manu's career.