Word. These two have history of winning together. Westbrook is just gonna have to impose his will like he did in that Laker game matched up with Kuzma last year. This is just scrimmage. He’ll show up when it counts.
To be fair, the Lakers were the 4th seed last season before LeBron’s injury and the team slipped during LeBron’s absence. West has been a blood bath for a long time now, so it’s hard to say LeBron couldn’t take that team to the playoffs... That said, most everything else in your take is pretty accurate. However, I still think we jumped the ship too soon on CP3. Management should have used whatever assets we had to reload. I know Russ started playing well before the season was suspended but I’m not sold on small ball. I’d love to be proven wrong but I don’t believe we will get past the second round with this squad. Rockets loss to the Warriors last season was largely due to getting killed on the boards in crucial moments. Were gonna get obliterated even worse on the boards this season. Again, I hope I’m wrong but our severe lack of rebounding doesn’t inspire much optimism..
At the very least, WB won't go 0-27. Maybe 1-27, but point is... he will drive to the basket at least once and dunk it.
Harden still has the ability to create. Let's see what he can do with Westbrook as the elite finisher with more playing time together. This should diversify his game to keep the opponents on their heels.
NBA sweating Rockets new wrinkle of playing Harden off ball. MDA still playing 3-D chess while everyone else playing checkers.
Love the catch and shoot. I mean if Harden can make those tough step backs no reason why he can't make the simpler catch and shoot
? I was simply just showing u what his spot up opportunities looked like since u said u missed the game...
I think not having an opposing crowd around Harden is going to be a HUGE difference maker. Not hearing real boos or the cheering when he messes up or gets a charge call. I think this setting can be perfect for him to just show up and go to work. Let's hope WB shakes off that rust and the rest of the guys play D and hit their threes
As I'm sure has been pointed out by now, none of them came close to beating a Warriors team with a healthy Durant, Steph, Klay, AND Dray. Harden's Rockets pushed them to the limit twice. If not for Scott Foster, and a statistically impossible cold streak, Harden would have won a game 7 against that team WITHOUT ANY OTHER STARS ON HIS TEAM. Just absolutely unprecedented... But sadly, no one is ever going to remember the amazingness of those Rockets because, due to circumstances entirely out of their control, they fell short of a title.
Harden has led the league in win shares five times in his career and only won a single MVP. To put that in context, the only other players in history to lead the league in win shares at least five times are Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Neil Johnston. Excluding Johnston, who played a portion of his career before the MVP award even existed, the fewest number of MVPs won by this group are the four, earned by both Lebron and Wilt. All-time great teams and record-breaking seasons have continuously overshadowed harden’s individual excellence. He has done everything humanly possible to win the MVP award this season.
Ahh. Thanks. I wasn’t actually upset but did think you were trying to prove my off the ball concern, which you did.
