it would be funny if shaving the beard was the solution...lol. the rockets marketing would be screwed. anyway......he is relying too much on getting the calls. go for the basket....not for the foul. i get that he is still trying to make the layups but driving into three players and getting stuffed or stripped multiple times isnt working lol. So far the main plays seem to be pass round the three point line until passing inside or go for three harden drive in delfino for three lin drive in
He is going for the shot. The reason Harden is such a great finisher (one of the best) is he's going for the shot...the problem is he's getting hacked and fouled and is not getting the call and if the defense is going to be allowed to foul Harden then he's not going to be able to be effective driving into the lane.
Probably some truth to this. Miami has to good defenders - James and Battier. Does anyone know who was guarding Harden in the Finals? I'm thinking Battier?
Uh, there were almost NO PnR's at all.. by Lin or Harden. Pick and Roll has 2 components... set the pick, then the big man rolls. There was NO big man rolling. Right now, what we have is Pick and... whatever. Mostly, it's just dodgy screens and poorly spaced picks. No rolls to see here.
Harden needs to put the team first. If coaches saying the offense will run through him, doesn't mean he has to finish it, doesn't has to be. He has to position himself. Lin is not helping much either.
LOL. I died reading this because it is so true. How do you have two great pnr guards & not run the pnr at all. It is going to be a while before this team starts to figure things out offensively.
Maybe still Wade (especially in late game as he plays the same position), who's a good defender when he wants to. Also, Harden has to spend tons of energy to defend Wade. Similarly, no wonder why WB shines in the finals because PG position is one of the weakest links on Miami team.
Honestly, I wouldn't expect a great performance. Miami just blew out the Nets by 30. At this point in the development, our best chance would be to just let Harden and Lin streetball it on the offensive end. If we try to run sets with our inexperienced roster, it will end very, very badly...
Yeah thats what I meant by its not working. Im trying to not throw the refs into this because thats not why we lost but they def didnt help us. I figured I would get flamed if I blamed no-calls though. I mainly just meant last night. Driving in is not going to work for him every game and with Denver's front court, it didn't. That might be where coaching should've played in cause if it didnt work the past 4 times, probably wont the next. Gotta be more versatile like we think he can be.
It seems that like said, Harden, Lin, Delfino and I'll add Parsons are our main offensive guys. Patterson has looked good past few games. Asik on defense is our top guy. We need more production from Douglas, Aldrich, and I want to see Donatas, Jones and White get some time. Wouldn't mind Machado have some time. And Greg Smith needs to be back in rotation. I like Aldrich a little, but I like the athletic ability of Smith.
The problem I see is when he drives to the basket, he stretches his arms holding the ball, which gives the defenders ample opportunities to either poke the ball loose, or hack his arms. When the refs call it fair, he goes to the FT line. Otherwise it's a TO or missed layup, just what has happened in the last two games. I think what he should do is clutching the ball like how you carry a football, aka King James style. After all he's LeBeard James...
Here is the thing though. Most of the best wing scorers do two things really well... a.) drive and slash into the paint b.) hit the outside shot when the refs take away the first option then all most scorers have is to just put up shots and hope they fall...I don't think there is much else he can do outside of just driving into the lane and creating for others...but then again that is going to be hard to do if the refs let guys hack at his arms. Driving SHOULD work for him every game because guys like Wade and Lebron were so good because they can drive into the paint and either get the basket or get fouled. McHale and any other coach should never tell Harden to not drive into the lane, they should be telling the refs to get off their crap and call the fouls like they would for any other player that is probing the lane as much as Harden does. Otherwise the refs take away such a huge advantage from Harden and will just make him into a outside shooter. Not that they were a huge factor but they played a role in it.
Harden has been forcing things too much the past 2 games, unnatural flow, he should play more off the ball. McHale having him as the primary ballhander isn't working. In any case, Harden will learn from these experiences though, figure out double teams better.
He is struggling because they've tried to do something centered primarily on Harden. 1. Every teams BEST defender will come out to play shut down defense on Harden - just like Lin got the BEST from opposing teams after Linsanity built steam. 2. If your running your entire offense through a guy whose greatest skill is scoring and making his teammates better - WHILE the opposing team is going to double/triple team him Your going to see more and more turnovers. Hardens now at 6 TO's career record. Averaging 5 TOs a game. The guy isn't meant to be ball-handling 90% of the time. He needs to be part of a fluid - fast - up-tempo - momentum driving - heartkilling offense. The person best equipped to do this is Lin. Lin needs to be running a more open aggressive and opportunistic offense that is high energy and high swag. Its got to be desperate, hungry, mad, outraged, and has to feel like the world is against them. with 13,000 in attendance last game ~ even home isn't giving them any support. Let the offense learn to play together, Lin can't defer or be forced to go run to a corner and take 1 shot every 1st half. Lin can't go into the 3rd quarter COLD. It won't work. Its got to be Lin Harden Parsons Delfino Asik - just running gunning, moving moving, passing. and SLAMBAMAJAMMMIN! The one with a good shot -take it. High reward choices ~ some may have hated the alleyoop to Parsons that failed the other night - but they fail to appreciate that - is what you want. You want a guy thatll take those shots. An Alleyoops is almost a guaranteed score as long as it touches the other guy's hands (minus Asik ~ though Asik is picking it up). HAVE HOPE! STAY FAITHFUL!
Im sorry to say but we get worse with every passing minute with Mcfail.Just look how good Hardin was before he had a few mcfail practices.Hes like the aliens on space jam he sucks all the skills from everybody.
