What is the main reason for this teams struggle this year?

Harden apologists believe that a superstar leading by example is hogwash poopie doo.

 

Kevin McHale. He needs to be fired.

 

I started writing a response about the "heavy lifting" quote three times, and three times I deleted it and said to myself "why bother?" But IF I had written that response, this is pretty much EXACTLY what I was going to say. so x2.

I'll add the wisdom of Kevin McHale: it's not exactly logging tall timber out there. So people should just give the "Harden's doing all the work" narrative a rest.

 

and probably much inferior offensive talent. please explain why Harden dominates PER, TS%, BPM, RPM, Win Shares, VORP and all the other relevant categories among the 2-guards in this league if he's hurting the team so bad.

numbers don't lie, but haters do.

 

James Harden's offseason, his relationship with Khloe Kardashian and how fat he got in the offseason. And the team's chemistry.

 

It's not that he is 'hurting' this team. It's more like: If Harden is our best player, this team isn't going to be nothing more than playoff fodder year in and year out.

I would definitely sacrifice his net offensive output for a 2 way star guard like Butler or Leonard.

If Harden is the best the Rockets can do to find the alpha-dog that can lead, they failed.

2014-2015 in shape Harden who at least attempted defense is a different story. But let's be honest. A player that regresses this much on one end of the court at such a young age of 26 without the excuse of some reoccurring injury like back or knee issues is extremely worrying.

 

Harden's DRPM is -0.8 and DBPM is -0.5. Wow, the Rockets give up less than a point more to the opponent when he is on the court compared to when he is not. What a huge defensive liability. Never mind that his ORPM is 6.38(3rd) and OBPM is 6.8(5th), which compensates what he gives up on the defensive end by around 8 fold.

Nah, who cares about math and logic. Let's just Hate.

 

you forgot to analyze WHY those numbers are what they are. Alternative hypothesis: His teammates cover for him by doing all the HEAVY LIFTING for him on defense.

 

Get back to me again when Butler leads his team to the ECF while being the top dog. Kawhi's a beast no doubt, but he does benefit from playing in SAS system.

 

RPM is a stat that is adjusted for that kind of scenario, so your argument doesn't make sense.

 

Now we have his apologists actually attempting to propogate a notion that Harden's pathetic effort on defense doesn't have an impact on the team...

WTF.

Maybe the Rockets would be +2 with a competent NBA level defender in Harden's place(no, don't pull a fast one on me and give the Rocket's net defensive rating when Harden is off the court, because Harden is a starter and shares majority of his minutes with the best defenders on the team...Beverly, Howard and Ariza).

 

Come back to me when we have an in shape 2014-2015 Harden on this roster.

 

not an argument if you didn't notice: an alternative "hypothesis". There IS a difference. :grin:

by the way, lots of people are less-than-impressed with the RPM/DRPM metrics . . . critics say there's no "there", there, to paraphrase Getrrude Stein. So I'm still not all impressed with the point that was being made.

 

No numbers or stats to back up my your argument so let's just spout out ad-hominem attacks

- Hater Logic

 

I blame all the players-only meetings, or whoever led the meetings.

 

With a straight face, tell me that Harden's defensive effort isn't an issue.

Numbers are a tool. They are not the only tool. I love my share of numbers. You kinda have to if you are in my shoes and have to take Calc 1,2,3 and differential equations for your major.

But numbers ignore things like the butterfly effect. Who knows how much of a negative impact Harden's incapability to move around on the defensive end has on the team. Do you ever consider the fact that his teammates might expend extra energy and stamina to plug Harden's inability to keep up with his man?

 

I didn't say it wasn't part of an issue. But what ails the Rockets this season is far bigger than Harden, or any other individual player. And by all relevant metrics, Harden IS carrying this team, and we play much worse when is not on the court. If you can't see that, you are just blinded by your hate.

 

I don't think anyone is denying that "Harden is carrying this team," it's just that that statement is not all that impressive for a .500 team who is more likely than not gonna slip back down to .490 by the time the Thunder game is over on Tuesday night. The argument IS, however, that if Harden expended more EFFORT, that might have resulted in five more wins (and a correlative five less losses), in which case we wouldn't be Suck City, but ten games over .500 and in contention for a home seeding for the playoffs rather than fighting for our lives to avoid a lottery pick. That's the point. If you can't see THAT, then you are just not reading closely enough. Absolutely NOBODY is arguing that Harden "is not carrying the team."

 

Carrying this team implies effort on both ends. He doesn't provide effort on both ends. The team has become dependent on Harden on the offensive end.

The Rocket's offensive dependency on Harden is more akin to a heroine addict dependent on heroine than a single mother 'carrying' a family of 3 kids.

The style of offense that allows Harden to have such gaudy stats is also a style that will force his teammates no matter what their skill set is to be nothing more than spot up shooters and ball watchers.

I bet you if this same exact roster minus Harden played a full season knowing that Harden wasn't playing wouldn't be so disastrous as they currently are on the offensive end when Harden is on the bench.

 

You kinda of did with this statement in a sarcastic tone:

From that statement it seemed like you believe that Harden's atrocious defensive is trivial.