We're at least two and maybe three pieces short of contending. A real good coach like Thibs would spend 2 or 3 years running this group into the ground and getting them to outperform their way to the playoffs and some improbable series wins like McHale did last season but we'd still come up short. Morey has to make a major move for a player that can be arguably the best or second best player on the roster and Harden has to accept co-star status and realize just a little less of him is better for the team with a second superstar (other than Dwight) present.
This guy gets it, To all those wanting a superstar ballhandler next to Harden.....Do you actually watch how Harden scores most of his points? The guy thrives from drives into the paint, 3s off the dribble and step-backs. How do you expect him to impact the game by moving him off the ball when he does not have the necessary skillset? Does he have the back to the basket game of Wade and Kobe? Can he shoot lights out like Thompson and Reddick in catch and shoot situations? Does he have the stamina, fleet of feet and motivation to be always on the move and running behind screens without the ball most of the time? Harden just has not worked on his game as much as he should and his skillset thus limits him to the role of primary ballhandler.
Cleveland: Pass, pass, pass, dribble, pass, pass, ... swish Rockets: Dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble.... turnover
Houston has one offensive weapon in Harden. It can't compete against a team like the Cavs that has LeBron AND Kylie - it's simply too much.
We have great talent & depth, don't be stupid. This is assuming when we're healthy. Dwight DMo Ariza Harden Lawson That's a premiere starting 5 with a stretch four, three legitimate post up players, two great high pick & roll players. Defensively, it's not the best but Dwight's still a very good low post defender and with proper placement of personnel on the defensive end it'd make our weakest link(Lawson, not Harden if he gives effort) hidden). Beverely Capela Tjones Brewer Thornton Um, that's a top bench, too. That's a bench with a shot-blocking big man, a versatile four, a streaky scorer, and two energy game changing defensive players. A coach can make these guys perform at their absolute best. Meaning highest level of optimization. That's what a great coach would do. A great coach would make all these players great at what they do, not this chaos that it is. Stop acting like we don't have talent; we do, we just don't have anyone to optimize it. And before you say, oh this ****er is shooting 30%, this guy is a DUI ****head, or that guy is a dumb tool, that's all because there's no structure, no unselfishness, and no discipline. Correct those fundamental flaws, and all these players optimize. It's cause & effect here, it's not cause Brewer is a goober this year, that he's hopeless for any coach. It's because we have a hopeless coach, Brewer is a goober this year.
No, we need a coach that would punish and penalize a lack of effort. Let's start there, we have a 3rd star, 2nd option offensively in Lawson. We just cannot ****ing use him, cause we're brain dead. Our chemistry is ****, and the by product of that is everyone having a career-down year.
No more suggestion of another "player" to fix this. Anyone that comes here would be sucked into the vacuum of a team that won't hold you accountable, won't need to learn our basic defensive sets/offensive strategy, and is fine giving literally no effort. There's very few players in the L that if we acquired would make us more focused and try harder. It's a personnel issue driven by years of incompetence, stupidity, and a lack of discipline by Coach McHale. He let this baby grow into a monster. Now we get a selfish, spoiled, entitled team that only "turns it on" when their back is against the wall. See how often we play desperation ball at the end of games, and how "good" we are?
I have always included coaching as one of the issues. To see what good coaching can do, look at Dallas. Personnel moves still need to be made, but make no mistake, coaching is still an issue.
Did one of the guys get naked in public? Did I miss something? I used to get totally exposed at Paleface Park, where the Pedernales runs into Lake Travis, but so did everyone else at the coves we went to. That was back in the '60's and '70's (and the '80's, to be honest). Never got arrested. What a world we live in today! Hopefully, suspensions won't follow. We need every player we've got, even the ones who don't play except at practice, or down in the Valley. Even the ones who've had an awful game after a 5 game winning streak. I only had to worry about the odd sheriff cruising around and they didn't care if you were totally exposed. They did care if you were naked at the boat ramp. Please, let the League go easy on the guilty!
Exactly. No matter how many trades you do at the end, Harden will make sure that gash bleeds how he pleases. He will suck the soul out of your body with his hogging slow tempo no defense ass.
appararently (just as on the court) Dwight is an afterthought... We have a future HOFer who is having the best fg% of his career - yet most nights he only gets 6 to 8 shots.... if someone would RUN THIS TEAM and get proper ball dispersement, we'd be in much better shape... Everyone keeps saying we need another playmaker - we have one - UTILIZE HIM!
AGREE WHOLEHEAREDLY! We have the talent... we just need to stop letting James Harden dictate how we play...
100% correct. They way Harden play will ruin any team chemistry. People who expect Harden to change is too gullible. His personality is already set. He's lazy and only care about his stats. Trading Harden for Butler would be ideal. Doubt Bulls will fall for that.
If we cant get Thibs or someone with a backbone, then we should... cause obviously this aint workin... If you can harness harden's talent toward team goals he's an asset... If you're gonna be 'held hostage' by james doing whatever the hell he wants, when he wants... then he's fool's gold who will just tease and torment you... imo...
It is really amazing to me that a team such as the Rockets has amassed such an amazing following. I know part of it is because there is not much to do in Houston, but still when you compare what this team has actually accomplished to how fervently it is followed world over you get shocked.
