Harden really needs a stand out performance in this year's playoffs..No excuse

Yes.


An upset by OKC will send me to an early grave, but deep down...I believe!

 

Im trying to play it cool too. I will lose a lot of sleep if they blow this one but...

If I had to bet my $ then im goin rockets. Thats how you know. Imagine who you would bet your $ on if you were forced to haha

 

>QUOTE="T for 3, post: 11028008, member: 50581"]people can act like harden's playoff resume is fine, and they will (referencing the GSW games) but he still needs to be better in the playoffs as a whole. It's undeniable. Since you all cherry picked a few games, i'll cherry pick one that sticks out in my memory. Game 6, LAC.[/QUOTE]
Is that the game where he was ON IV DRIPS BEFORE THE GAME BECAUSE HE WAS THROWING UP ALL night and day before the game. This was confirmed by McHale afterwards. Before that game 6 Harden was suffering through a massive fever and was throwing up ALL NIGHT and even before the game started. Guess what? in game 7 of that series after he recoverd, he destroyed the Clippers and pretty much won that game by him self.

 

Is that the game where he was ON IV DRIPS BEFORE THE GAME BECAUSE HE WAS THROWING UP ALL night and day before the game. This was confirmed by McHale afterwards. Before that game 6 Harden was suffering through a massive fever and was throwing up ALL NIGHT. Guess what in game 7 of that series after he recoverd he destroyed the Clippers and pretty won that game by him self.[/QUOTE]

In game 5 he played thru it and triple doubled but it caught up to his body worse for game 6. I appreciate beard lol

 

Harden will bring it but if anything he needs to be scoring less and getting our shooters more looks. Spread the load and kill and overwhelm them. simpleton stuff from the OP

 

I am a Rockets Fan Forever. No matter what players we have, No matter if we are doing good or struggling. I love The Beard.
Other posters have mentioned how they cope with the disappointment and/or the anticipation of defeat. I have a odd way of handling what I feel might be a close game....I bet on the other team, cheer like hell for the Rox. If we win I happily pay. If we lose I buy a very nice bottle of the poison of the week. I have a bottle of Herradura Anejo, thanks to the Clippers.

 

How about game 7 were he closed it out and was the best player on the floor.

Does that not count?

 

Lol

Iv unfortunately done that one to many times.

 

I think this is what he's going to do.

Remember this is his first playoffs with a real coach and also the first one without Dwight in over 3 years.

This is Hardens first postseason as the leader and in his prime. It's just different.

We take for granted how good this guy had been putting up historic production in his early 20s the we forget he's just 27.

Everything is a learning experience. The great steph curry didn't become steph curry till he was 27. These okc youngins (KD, harden, Russ) were so good at an early age and had so much success together when they were 21-22 years old that we expected all them to get there fast when reality is they just weren't ready.

There all hitting there prime. Harden just happens to be the youngest one with the least amount of starts.

I think we will see a much different harden this year in the postseason. I expect to see a lot of those monster type games from him. Like 35/12/8 games and a lot of them.

If we get a locked in harden playing his best there's no doubt in my mind that in a month we will be getting ready to take on the GSW in the WCF.

 

i have no doubt the bearded god will be goat WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, just sit down and relax

besides i am a lot more appreciative of RS then playoffs quality of play... i love to watch great basketball all year long not just a couple of months...

 

Given that Harden has some good playoff games as well, what concerns me is that he can singlehandedly make consecutive unforced turn-overs or force ill-contested iso shots in a close game causing us the game. Hope he's learned and is smarter by making less high risk/low reward plays and foul baiting when defenses really clamp up on him.

 

And where exactly do you hear those?

From the media, and the people who get their NBA opinion from the media.

This is the exact same reason why you have people thinking Westbrook is a good defender.

A lot of a players' perception in general is heavily focused by the media - like it or love it.

And unfortunately for James, one reason or another he's been tarnished with the bad end of this brush.

No one with a straight face can claim a Youtube compilation video couldn't be made for every star player in this league of their defensive mishaps. Jesus christ you could make a Youtube video just of plays involving Steph Curry (ie Steph Curry is in the immediate vicinity of the ball handler) and he runs away from the ball forcing another player to defend so he can get out of the play. Of course you'll never hear anyone ever mention this.

Harden gets respect from people who are in the know (players MVP)
Harden barely gets any respect from those who like to think they know - but really have no idea (the majority of the media)

And I'm getting really, really sick and tired of people saying it's a cheap foul what he does on the 3 point line.
Defender puts arm on James -> James goes into his normal shooting motion -> catches defender's arm on the way up -> automatic foul

This isn't the stupid pump fake and jump two feet forward into the defender looking for a whistle play. It irks me that people talk about it in the same fashion.

 

I assumed the OP was talking about what Harden needed to do to get respect from people outside of ClutchFans or Houston. So, I responded with the common complaints I hear from the media and from NBA fans outside of Houston.

I do believe the complaints have some validity. I do believe Harden is capable of playing better defense. And I don't particularly like seeing Harden purposely tangle up his arms with a defender to get a foul call.

But, having said all that. I think Harden should be the MVP, and I think he's a great player. I'm a big fan of Harden. I was just trying to explain what Harden would need to do to gain respect from some of his critics.

 

yes, it does. I brought up game 6 only as an example. That you can make the case he has been good OR bad by selecting 1 or 2 games.

 

Harden will need to score mad ton this playoffs...They will swarm the shooters and make harden play hard just like what GSW did to us..I hope Hardens ready...if he's not, trade him.

 

.....or how about adding pieces around him, that can relive him from that pressure?

You yourself gave a game plan for the other teams to exploit when playing Houston.

Harden is not the weakness that your game plan is pointing at.

 

That's the problem with Harden, he's very weak mentally. He has done very poorly when it comes to playoffs basketball. Really, i just hope he average his regular season averages...

 

Seriously. . . Harden could average 30-15-15 but if in the last game. . . if it is a loss. . . he goes 5-5-5
that will all people will harp on

Rocket River
Fickled Fandom

 

Notice how no one complains about T-Mac's individual performance in the Playoffs because we all saw that he brought it every year. Harden is not as good a Playoff performer as T-Mac.