This was our 5th game this season with 7 players making double figures in points. Last year we had only 2 games like that for the whole season. That means we have less need of Harden to be a beast on offense. I counted 19 games last year where Harden scored 35+ points. (We won 14 of them, not bad at all). This year it's all about the team. Good to know that if we need to, Harden can still explode and it's actually good for the team. But I'm more excited about those 7 players in double figures games than Harden putting 35+ point games. Good job and keep at it!
Lots of ball movement. There is very little of the stagnant offense we saw last year Everyone buying in
With the next several games at home we should really start to gel... more practices/better performance
It's almost like having solid coaching and players who fit matters. Right? *thinking* Nevermind. It was definitely James Harden that was the issue last year.
I mean....guys on the court smiling and visibly having fun playing the game. Bev and Gordon having a laugh running back to defend. Capela and Harrell posturing after dunks, pumping the crowd up. Energy, hustle is back. It's not just the positivity either. How about Harden and Ariza a few times have been visibly upset with players, got in the grills once or twice and it doesn't crater the team...in fact they come back playing harder, smarter.
No mention of our improving defense? I know it was the Lakers but our D for that game was fantastic. There was no letup from the beginning till the 4th. Even with the bench warmers coming in, they did not let up on D.
Dwight was a problem. We can all see that now. I'm not saying Dwight was a bad guy, he just wasn't a good fit with Harden. The Rockets won 56 games two years ago when Dwight missed large parts of the regular season. We all can remember how the ball moved so much better when we didn't have to worry about Dwight getting his touches. This is the first year that Morey(or Les) has surrounded Harden with players that suit the Moreyball plan of taking three point shots all game long. Up until this year it was trying to force square pegs in a round hole. It just didn't work. Maybe Morey(or Less) has learned something about team chemistry. You have to have more than just star players. You have to have players that compliment each other.
And nobody complaining about getting post touches. It's nice to see once again a real offensive scheme in Houston. Coaching does matter Mr.Morey....
One thing that jumped on me that a lot of players mentioned the fact that everyone is getting touches and have "a piece of the pie". This is not a knock on Harden but I think this is the way the team should play. Let everyone be involved on offense, creates more involvement in the defense as well. This is something we really missed last year and even in the start of the season. Harden shouldn't chase this MVP award, this is why I'm so happy that all the headlines going to Westbrook. However, the team is also very good when Harden scores 35+ points (14 W's in 19 games last season) so I wouldn't say that inflated stats from our star is bad for the team.
WB, durant, USA basketball, and almost all rockets players except for that bum Ty and diva Dwight fit in with harden Plus Dwight didn't fit with Nash
Healthy team and healthy forum as well. The team is winning, playing well, with good performances all around (yeah even brewer seems half decent lately) and therefore most people around here are happy. I am sure the known contrarians that complain for a living and basically hate everything about this team will surely show up every now and then when we lose a game, but it looks like this season its very likely that most of the time the GARM will remain positive and mostly objective, and that when there is some criticism it should be for issues that truly merit some criticism and not for every little absurd thing, which is very nice.
Well to be fair, Harden is playing better than he did last year. And while this team is playing really well, I'm not sure they were as good as the 2014-15 team
No conflict of leadership. McHale overrated, MDA underrated. Two new scorers help. Kardashian spell relief.
I'm pretty sold that we're a better team than last season and Dwight leaving was good for us given the new system and all the distractions he brought (or the media brought). I still don't think we are a threat to contend for a championship, though. Something is still missing and it might be D-Mo. It's still early but you see how good our offense can be. And, our defense is actually getting better...especially when Bev returned. But, it still feels like we are a player or two away.
I think how good we can get on the defensive end is what will eventually be the mark if we can be on the Clippers/Spurs caliber. So far were not there yet, but there are good signs. If we can make it to be top 15 on the defensive end it mean we can be solid consistently and actually be a threat in a playoff series. The more we play like a team and not counting on one individual to carry us, the better we'll become. We don't have the talent like Golden states or the Cavs, so we got to be a better team than them.
Dwight may not be a bad person, but at this point in his career, he's a bigger negative on the court and in the locker room than a positive. Last year he admitted that he didn't try hard much of the time and that he was afraid to expand and improve on his limited offensive game. His constant two-faced persona -- half the time sulking about not having more of the offense run through him (when he hadn't earned it on-court), half the time smiling and laughing like everything was great -- ended up dragging the entire team down. I was a Dwight fan when we acquired him and had very high hopes that he would rehabilitate his image while here. Now I realize he was never actually misunderstood by the press -- they had him figured out. It wasn't just that he was a bad fit for the Rockets, because he's been a bad fit everywhere. Screw him. Glad he's gone so we can get on with the business of trying to compete for a title.
I disagree, this team looks much more balanced and well coached than the team from two years ago. Hopefully, we can get D-Mo back in the mix and we get even better.
Loving how they are playing, they still have some work to do, but they are winning as they go, pretty clear how a cancer like Dwight can screw things up. Big ups to the young guns too - Dekker and Harrell.......looking good you two! DD
