Jeez. All these teams are in full tank mode. I've got tickets to the Suns game on Friday. I saw that Booker and Chandler didn't play the other night. I wonder who Phoenix will be sending out there in that one.
I don't think that has been the issue. I think Harden is a little worn down with nagging injuries and frustration at being fouled so much and not getting the calls or getting protection. You can see the frustration that he doesn't let slip out except the one technical the other night. Some rest with more wins and the playoffs will rejuvenate him. I actually think the end of the season and knowing he won the MVP will release a little bit of that tension and focus him on his mission with a lot of excitement. I think he and CP3 know they are about to expel a lot of demons and they KNOW they are going to win. CP3 has really helped him unleash those big games. I think he knows now that he won't break down and they have seen every defense and how they will get attacked and know they can kill it. Other than his turnovers, the one critique I would hope he works on in when he comes back in with a big lead in the 4th to not try to shoot as many 3s and focus more on penetration and kicking. That will help him get more in rhythm with the team that has been doing well with CP3 off the bench. He doesn't have that pressure to take over any more. The team carries a lot of weight now without him.
I can see his voice being a little annoying... but I love his excitement, and the fact that he just so clearly knows the game far better than Bill and has a more modern mindset than him. Worrell is too old school, not to mention how inarticulate he is and how often he gets basic in-game facts wrong. He's just not all there anymore.
Only one of the big three. That could be tough, even against a garbage team. At least a garbage team that's not very obviously tanking yet. EDIT: Just saw the Bulls' injury report... Maybe not.
A little annoying doesn't begin to grasp it. It's like listening to a crying baby for 2 hours. I can barely stand to listen to him. He might be a nice guy, and might know what he is talking about, but honestly, I wish I could just turn off his loud and whiny voice and only hear the other broadcasters.
This last game was a "pedestrian win." It's weird. I thought other teams had pedestrian wins, not the Rockets. It a strange yet wonderful feeling I hope we experience again, many, many times. I'd be happy with a pedestrian stroll to the WC Finals, but I don't expect it.
I think the best example of what I'm talking about is this very month... Most of Harden's best shooting games in this month where he's been "struggling" so badly came against the two very best teams we played in March with two of the toughest defenses in the NBA: Portland and Toronto. I expect that effort on the regular once the games matter again.
I see the stats you are talking about but I see that as coincidence more than anything. All of those were playoff teams that we had to beat. Earlier his Herculean games came out of necessity with injury including the back to back 51 pt games we lost. Harden's bad games come from the long grind and games like Boston and even Detroit where he is going to get fouled multiple times on a play and not get a call. They muck up the game and get a reputation for good defense that is really fouling. He and the team at times lose composure and get crowded away from the paint outside into bad 3s because they are not getting the calls. He gets lazy. They have to continue to force the issue. This was also happening in the Toronto game but he just happened to be shooting fairly well. In other games the missed fouls have been happening a lot but because they are winning he lets the issue go. You will see games where he shoots well but has a lot of turnovers. A lot of that is him being careless with the ball like last year but a lot of it is also uncalled fouls. Harden miraculously loses the ball after getting hit in the face or on the arm or knocked over. I think with the ample rest in the playoffs he and CP3 can deploy all their tricks to beating the defenses. You can tell when they have everybody on the floor they have tremendous confidence that no matter what they will win every game. There definitely has been a change the last month and I think the grind of getting 1st place with the streaks continuing through injuries has just worn on the team a little and he loses focus in the game. You can tell when he plays good defense and then gives up the layups or the turnovers and successive 3s that all brick. As much as we want to believe that Harden can get it going any time he has mostly reduced his offensive game to drives and 3s. When he gets tired he settles for 3s and he doesn't have that rhythm that he gets early in the game. Usually a few good drives and a step back 3 get him going along with his passing. I would rather see him later in the games play like he did against the Hawks with the 15 assists. He can always create for others. He will only continue to get better at reading those small details about his gameplay. Knowing how tired you are and how quickly you can get your shot back on. Until this year he just had to do it all so it didn't matter. He might have to score 15-20 in the 4th to win so he had to go. I think part of that is ingrained in him and he is slowly letting it go. People look to the bad playoff games and it is so obvious that he was pretty much a one speed engine that just broke down at times. His fouling epidemic I think is very much a chicken and the egg concept where he creates the FT but his style of play oddly invites teams to foul him more to game the system knowing the refs just never want to catch up to it. I wouldn't at all be surprised if there is some stat list kept that showed he was on pace to be too high above the average on attempts and they throttle him back down. At least any more surprised then them creating a rule hoping to stop him.
