Oh, please. Tracy showed up whenever we needed him. His supporting cast was either garbage or Yao/himself were hurt.
Harden is probably the 3rd best player we've had in Rockets history, yeah he blew it in OT tonight, but we are only in the second round and playoffs because of him. I agree people need to appreciate the beard. The casual fan base hates him, someone needs to show him some love and that's us! Don't you remember our perpetual 9th seeds before Harden got here?
I dunno. He's pretty widely considered a top 7?? Guy at worst? Hard to do better than him as your number 1.
Harden is just to careless to be an effective number 1 especially at this time of year. He has to clean that part of his game up or any team he leads won't be going anywhere.
Harden is one of the most frustrating superstar players, if not the most. He's right up there with Westbrook, if you ask me. With that said, he is also the primary reason we are in the second round of the playoffs. But my love for him as a Rockets fan doesn't mean I accept the absolute trash 20 second hold ISO offense. Perhaps it's a maturation thing where he'll learn to completely trust his teammates at the end of games. Until then, if the game is close, I have no faith he'll execute the offense the way we need to close out this Spurs team.
Hakeem and Jordan also both had to mature and basically learn how to win (This also came near at around 30...). We aren't winning this year, we all knew that when Durant ran to the Warriors. That is unless they suffer injuries. I hope the Rockets get to the Warriors to even have a shot at it, even if it is a 1% shot... Let's just hope this team learns and grows to be better for next year.
There isn't a player in the league that can do that right now . Lebron prime in Cleveland could take a team there ( vs weak sauce east ) but couldn't win . Once Boston had a legit team , even Lebron couldn't take them there . James is so great that sometimes we forget he doesn't need help .
Yup. Harden is held to championship expectations while not having anything close to a championship roster. Where is his championship caliber help? Harden + role players can get u to the WCF which is pretty amazing, but it will not lead to a title. Curry + role players would not lead to a title. KD + role players would not lead to a title. Kawhi + role players would not lead to a title. Westbrook + role players is out in the 1st round.
Like I said earlier I agree these days with super teams you need more than one star. I just feel Harden can't be trusted down the stretch the way he plays at this point especially against team as good if not better. That Spurs team tonight on the floor had no business beating the Rox. Harden had an embarrassing choke tonight and this isn't the first time he's choked like this at this time of year.
Harden led this group of ragtags to the 3rd best record in the regular season this year and didn't need Yao to do it. He also didn't choke in the first round even though he played Westbrick and a team that was expected to finish higher than us in the standings. Harden is an overachiever. Meanwhile, Tmac gets b**** slapped by an aging Andre Kirilenko in a series he was expected to win. Harden faced better defenders in Roberson and Kawhi, Green and Pop coaching them, yet he still has his team in position to advance. Tmac would have quit a long time ago.
I agree, but maybe if he has another star next to him that's not an aging/declining Dwight then we won't have to rely on him so heavily in the playoffs and ride or die with his performances.
Harden still has some growing to do to learn how to win in tight games, primarily in the trust of the pace, and teamates..... DD
Yeah he's not like Lebron James who just carries a team without All-St... oh wait. I mean he's not like Durant who just carries a team without All-St... oh wait. I mean, he's not like Steph Curry who just carries a team without All-St... oh wait. I mean he's not like Kobe Bryant who just carries a team without All-St... oh wait. I mean he's not like Tim Duncan who just carries a team without All-St... oh wait. I mean, he's not like Kawhi Leonard who wins championships without Hall of F... oh wait. I mean, he's not like Dirk Nowitzki who just carries a team without Hall of F... oh wait. What I really mean is, he's not like Chauncey Billups who has no All-St... oh wait. Ok. Ok. He's just not like Michael Jordan who played without any... oh. wait. So then we have to go back to Houston's second champio... oh wait, that Drexler guy. Fine. Houston's first champi... oh snap. Otis Thorpe was a 1992 All Star. That's the last 25 championships. And to top that off, several of these guys DIDN'T win championships in years with an All Star or multiple All Stars as teammates. Get a grip guys. James Harden winning a championship in 2017 would be, by a wide margin, the most incredible feat from any franchise player in the history of the NBA. That's not the bar for the greatest current player in the world. That's the bar for who is the greatest player in recent history. And Harden is not the greatest player in recent history.
Let's see . . . . . . 6 Shannon Brown SG 6-4 205 November 29, 1985 us R Michigan State University 1 Daniel Gibson PG 6-2 190 February 27, 1986 us R University of Texas at Austin 90 Drew Gooden PF 6-10 250 September 24, 1981 us 4 University of Kansas 32 Larry Hughes SG 6-5 184 January 23, 1979 us 8 Saint Louis University 11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas C 7-3 238 June 5, 1975 lt 8 23 LeBron James SF 6-8 250 December 30, 1984 us 3 19 Damon Jones PG 6-3 185 August 25, 1976 us 8 University of Houston 27 Dwayne Jones PF 6-11 250 June 9, 1983 us 1 Saint Joseph's University 24 Donyell Marshall PF 6-9 218 May 18, 1973 us 12 University of Connecticut 14 Ira Newble SF 6-7 220 January 20, 1975 us 6 Miami University 3 Sasha Pavlovic SG 6-8 220 November 15, 1983 me 3 31 Scot Pollard C 6-11 265 February 12, 1975 us 9 University of Kansas 20 Eric Snow PG 6-3 190 April 24, 1973 us 11 Michigan State University 17 Anderson Varejao C 6-10 273 September 28, 1982 br 2 4 David Wesley SG 6-0 190 November 14, 1970 us 13 Baylor University I like Clint but Ilgauskas was better then than clcing it now Larry Hughes = Beverly Drew Gooden > Anderson I'm not saying that team was BETTER but they were definitely not much worse if at all Rocket River
Harden shouldn't be the main superstar. He needs to be second fiddle or have an equal just like Curry has Durant or Lebron has Kyrie. His equal should handle the ball in clutch situation as much or more than him.
Who would you rather as your #1? Let's look at playoff teams and their best guy or #1 (excluding the warriors and Cavs for obvious reasons): EAST Boston: IT Raps: Lowry Wiz: Wall Bucks: Giannis Atlanta: Millsap Bull: Butler Pacers: PG WEST Spurs: Kawhi Clips: Cp3 OKC: Westbrook Memphis: Gasol Portland: Lillard Jazz: Hayward/Golbert You'd have to be pretty dumb to trade Harden for any of these guys (I can understand the case for maybe Kawhi or Giannis, but you're betting on upside - Harden is already at MVP level), please....
Dream was in his 30s when we won the titles. This loss is frustrating as hell and James was damn awful in the 4th an OT. But agree with OP, like complaining about your quirky, funny, supermodel heiress girlfriend because she wouldn't mingle with your friends girlfriend at the party. The Rockets have no reason to be relevant right now and the only reason they are is James Harden's play. If we had George or Russ we'd be those teams instead of taking the Spurs to 7 games in the Semis.
