I think he wanted the ball at that very last play and I believe MDA when he said the play was for Russ to bring it up and to dump it off to Harden. But it was obviously a stupid play lol. James wanted the ball at the end of games in last year's playoffs just fine. I think he just has too much faith in Russ. It's a fair criticism I suppose.
Russell Westbrook is not f*cking Derek Fisher. He's making 40 mil dollars a year and averaged 27ppg in the regular season. What in the f*ck are you talking about?
And James Harden is the former MVP, scoring champ, best scorer in the league, best 1 on 1 player ever, etc, What in the **** are you talking about?
Ultimate front runner. I see the Harden Stans and apologists pointing fingers elsewhere again (shocker!) but this is on him again. He had the entire 4th quarter to make a statement not just the closing minutes. Especially when his teammates kept it close for him to take over and be a true superstar he shows up empty. If he’s not missing shots he’s the last one to walk up the floor looking lethargic and deferring to teammates while he stands around near half court. Typical Harden line where he finishes with 32 points and so his fanboys think it’s not his fault. It was the most quiet 32 ever once again when it mattered the most. Bbbut but he was tired and gassed. From what? Drop a performance like Kawhi, Jimmy Buckets or Jamaal and you have a right to be tired. He blew another opportunity. CP3 post game said some guys are dogs and show up big when the games on the line and want the ball. Others shy away from it. Totally low key talking about Harden. If you don’t think he lost the game well he certainly didn’t win it. Blame Dwight, blame CP3, blame McHale, blame D’Antnoni, blame Westbrick. It’s never his fault amirite?
LOL Don't blame Morey & Mike. Choking, coming up small, call it whatever you want...been that way since the Finals with OKC. Luka was ballin' on a bum ankle, Jamal Murray/Donovan Mitchell ballin', Jimmy Butler ballin', just saw 50-year old Chris Paul close out a game ... but damn don't ask James to get near the ball in the closing minutes. James is gonna get the job done or he's not. That's it. Enough excuses. He's 31. 8th year in the playoffs with the Rockets. The owner's changed. Leslie Alexander - Tilman Fertitta The coaches have changed. Kevin McHale - JB Bickerstaff - Mike D'Antoni (Probably another one next year) The star players changed. Dwight Howard - Chris Paul - Russell Westbrook The role players changed. Only Morey & Harden haven't. On & off the court he runs everything with this franchise. He's the assistant GM. They run everything by him. On the court, he pounds the rock, controls the ball. He controls it all. Yeah he lost to the Warriors. He's also lost to the Thunder (on the verge of doing it again, vs. the guy he sent away), the Blazers, the Spurs... If they lose game 7, who are you gonna blame now? He's tired again? Westbrook, the guy he wanted here? The role players? The coach? The GM? The owner? I know, the refs. Refs fault. Game 7, go get the job done, by any means necessary...or not.
Again. This dude must not have watched Harden. The star player. The MVP. The self proclaimed best in the league. Literally shy away from the ball. Dude deserves A LOT of the blame.
This sums Harden and The Rockets up perfectly. Everything is riding on this game 7. The question is which Harden shows up?
I dont want ever anyone comparing JH to MJ ever again. Not even Kobe/LBJ/Iverson//Tmac.... he is the best player ever for 3 quarters but his constant turnovers, bad plays and hiding in crucial times is a f joke. Russ is hurt cant score at all and he is more active than mr 40ppg James? He literaly didnt want the ball
You'll go into hiding when Harden wins us the next game. But you'll be back in the next series when we lose to the Lakers. Pretty pathetic and predictable.
Its not that we Lost. Its how. Harden wont be the one to win us Championship. He can get us to finals etc but in crucial games It will be Russ
Look at this ****. Dude wants no part of the basketball. Exactly what @fchowd0311 been speaking to. Standing around halfcourt, not involved. "But but but it was designed that way!" "But but but he's a decoy!"
its hard to blame harden when his teammates always turn into hot trash at the most inopportune moments..always..
Harden needs to be more demanding in these situations. He can't just stand around. Of course the defense is going to try to deny the best player the ball. The best player has to overcome that and put in the effort to actually get free. Harden routinely fails to do this in closing situations in the playoffs.
You can say Harden carried the team for the majority of the game but came up short on trying to assert himself late and trying to get free and the ball in his hands. Harden did carry the team tonight. He played great on both ends besides some careless turnovers. He routinely attacked the basket instead of settling for the stepback. But he still was far to passive in the final few minutes of the game on offense.
Some of you guys are complete idiots, seriously. It's not Harden's fault that the the owner is cheap and that Morey har surrounded Harden with former G-league ballers. House, Mclemore, Green, Bruno, Sefolosha, Rivers, Luc, Michael Frazier, Clemons, Chandler and Carroll are either fresh G-league ballers or players who have been waived and then signed to Houston. Then we have Gordon who is beyond awful, an injured Westbrook who is playing like crap. Rockets have been outplayed on every single position minus Harden's position. Gallinari > Covington CP3 > Westbrook SGA > House Adams > Tucker Schröder > Gordon Dort > Rivers How can you take for granted that Houston is going to win just because James Harden is crazy good, when OKC are better at all the positions. For me it's a mystery that Harden has been willing to carry these crappy Rocket teams for so long while getting so much **** for it.
