Why does our style get criticized but others get a pass or even loved?

Harden is also a different kind of player than the NBA has ever seen and people can't wrap their arms around it. MDA stated that he is the greatest iso player in NBA history. I'm warming up to that statement.

People make a lot of Morey statistics driven offense but this really only works because of Harden. MDA tried in LA and NYC with no success with elite players. This works because of Harden, period. He's arguably the greatest PnR player ever because you can't take any options away from him on defense. He has no weakness. He can pull up 3, he can efficiently assist to the roll/pop/ally-op, he can drive all the way (or get the foul) and as a last resort he can pull up for a midrange shot. There is literally no way to guard Harden on the PnR.

MDA single greatest coaching move was moving Harden to PG. Harden takes care of the rest.
Morey greatest GM move was trading for CP allowing the Rockets to play the same offense for 48 minutes at hall-of-fame level.

People hate the Rockets because …Houston.

Houston + understated superstar = no love.

Harden isn't a loud mouth or flashy. Same reason nobody gave Hakeem's Rockets any respect. Hakeem was understated.

 

They certainly respect San Antonio which is even less "mainstream" than Houston.

 

Again, Tim Duncan and Kahwi Leonard aren't loud mouth or flashy. But they respect them.

I really don't buy the not flashy or not a big market thing. The Spurs prove that logic all wrong.

 

Hive mind mentality. Weaker individuals will cling to a group thought as a protective and self preservative action. Internet is a funny place.

Philly = "OMG they're so boss and forward thinking"

Houston = "eww they're so ugly, only draw fouls and shoot 3s, it's a disgrace to the game"

Same system.

 

Yeah, but the Spurs have won so much, so consistently that they outlasted the media's bias. For a while, the Spurs were definitely in the "this team is SO boring!" box but you win 5 championships and have 20+ winning seasons in a row, and eventually the people realize that hating is just silly and they forget all the means things they said about Duncan being a p***y compared to Shaq.

 

Perfected it or just got enough stars to make it better?

 

You can say that too. GSW still made what we were trying to do better.

 

Tim and Kawhi were an extension of Popovich. Media loves Popovich, even when he ***** on them. Maybe especially when he ***** on them. 5 rings also go a long way.

 

I think the most objectionable thing is the foul hunting.

 

As others stated, Spurs get a flyer because of Pop winning 5 rings over 20 decades. But that was really only a secondary point I was making

The primary point of my post, however, is that Harden is just THAT good. He makes MDAs system work.

 

I know Pop and the Spurs success. That's the point. If you are good, people will respect you. You don't have to be LA or NY or be a loud mouth. I just don't like Rockets fans constantly whining about not getting media respect. We haven't done anything great for two decades. Why do you think people should respect us?

I cringe when Rockets fans laugh at Toronto when we are in the same boat with them. Hopefully, we can be good for a long time and gain the respect we deserve.

 

Its ISO ball and its not flashy ISO ball. Harden and Paul are not driving in and dunking on people, they are laying it in, getting the foul or shooting the midrange if they are not kicking out for a 3. If the Rockets brand of ISO ball was to dunk on guys I am sure it would be different in how the media portrays us because dunks sell on SportsCenter and other shows.

The general viewing public have been conditioned primarily by the media that it should be moving the ball around and scoring like how GS does it. Is GS way far more aesthetic? Of course it is, but no other team in the history of the NBA has the shooters that GS has so its not easy to replicate. The Spurs teams a few years ago had amazing ball movement and that was lauded all the time. The problem is with this style at least against Golden State is that they switch all the time and so trying to create mismatches that way really plays into their "helter skelter" style of defense with their length.

ISO ball just seems like a cheap way to score by the media, despite it being effective. But if you ask me its the only way to beat Golden State. Look at what LeBron did back in 2015. He almost beat GS by himself but heavy ISO ball and slowing the pace down. The Rockets are doing just that right now. Slow pace, ISO ball whenever they can and then getting transition buckets when possible. The Rockets have significantly more talent than that 2015 Cavs team (considering Love and Kyrie were hurt). Will it be enough to get past GS? I have no idea and right now I would still say GS are strong favorites to beat the Rockets. They have the experience and of course a huge talent difference in their starting five. The Rockets do have much better depth, but their bench really has not shown up yet consistently in the playoffs and if they do not in the WCF (if the Rockets close out the Jazz) then its going to be really hard for Houston to get more than one game against GS.

 

New excuse:

When Donovan Mitchell runs ISO plays, it's better than watching Houston do it because he doesn't have a "deadened algorithmic feel"

 

Drawing free throws is considered flopping according to Twitter.

 

rockets are the floyd mayweather (in the ring) of basketball.

they hate tactically efficient basketball that uses every page of the nba rulebook to it's advantage to get wins and call it boring.

 

Warriors are 17th in threes attempted and play as a team.