I was assuming there was a new GM as well, in this tale. If you're keeping Morey and the team we have...I don't know that this is going to happen. There could be multiple new rotation players with a new coach. You're talking about how "we've got Harden", which is awesome...but how does theoretical new coach build an offense around Harden? There's just a lot of moving parts, is all I'm saying.
Given the economy, I bet Tillman is going to save more rather than spend. His restaurant chains / casino etc are under threat.
This ten times. How can the right coach for Harden & Paul be the right coach for Westbrook. Westbrook needs a lot of guidance NOT a informative influence while watching film.
Budenholzer is viewed as the MDA of the EC...he makes no adjustments, and he doesn’t switch anything up...Bucks fans are sick of him
MDA did adjustments but is hard to adjust the adjustments when norm is an adjustment. We play as an adjustable adjustment with a short rotation. Small ball is an adjustment for most team but not us. Most of the visible adjustments were on the defensive side. I think the slower pace was to help the defense because the double team was full court anyway.
This team was a 65 win team that should have won the finals a few years back. The westbrook trade really hurt. As did losing Ariza who did a lot to help bridge Paul and Harden.
Yes I wouldn’t blame Harden. Double teaming Harden at half court is a compliment to Harden......only thing greater would be double teaming Harden full court. If Harden tries to bust thru the double team you get 10 TO’s like that Warriors game in 2014-15, I believe it was that season. Layups the other way. The rest of the team has to pick things up. That’s the purpose of 10 guards on the roster isn’t it? Take the baton and attack from the FT line in as two defenders are out by half court with Harden. Can’t expect body frames of Westbrook, Rivers, EGo, Bem McLemore to stand up to the physicality of LeBron, Kuzma, Markieff Morris for too long......all while trying to contain AD in the post. Anytime the Lakers needed a basket, they had LeBron match up against Westbrook/Rivers body frame. Backing them up like paper cardboard cutouts. Senseless for Norey to bring in guys like Faried and now DeMarre and Luc if D’Antoni refuses to play them. The regular season is the time to get those players in sync with what the team wants. If defense is a problem, then instruct them on what they are doing wrong. I can’t believe DeMarre couldn’t guard LeBron or Markieff any worse than McLemore did. I’m not a fan of JVG, but I can’t imagine D’Antoni coming back. Rockets choice on that one. If JVG is not hung up on big Centers like Kevin McHale still is; in with the new age basketball era. Then sign him up. Time to thin out the ranks go guards and add more SF’s. EGo gone and maybe Rivers. Bring in a Snell. A Ben McLemore taller version or two if they can be had. Nice to see you saleem.....and yes I’m done with D’Antoni limited rotations and favoritism towards guards.
Because it doesn't impact Lebron the way it impacts Harden. With his size, strength, and court vision, even if he's double teamed hard, Lebron can usually make a positive play for his team. And even if he's stationary at times, he can impose his will whenever he wants. Can we say the same about Harden?
Leslie Alexander was responsible for both the hiring and firing of McHale. Leslie also somehow let JVG go and didn't extend Adelman. He wanted a puppet coach who could sweet talk to the media and do good publicity work for the organization.
The Rockets Lakers series started out on non-fixed terms. But then the Rockets were instructed to keep things interesting but to back off. The disparity in late game calls. The Rockets aren't upset because they complied with what the league wanted. At the end the league thought the Lakers could generate more revenue.
This is an underrated aspect of Harden... he’s not perfect, but I can’t think of a current player who has unlocked and so completely weaponized a new part of his game as significantly as Harden has seemed to do in each of the past 3-4 off seasons.
@Nook after digesting the loss for a day, i'm (unfortunately) in the camp of trading harden and starting over. we are not going to win a title with him. even before tildumb was on the verge of across-the-board bankruptcy, he wasn't willing to spend for a contender. and now with our picks and assets depleted, tucker already 35, gordon's and westbrook's albatross contracts. house in limbo. DAL/GS/DEN/LAC/ETC all getting stronger... harden deserves a chance at a title before his prime closes. that's not going to happen here. and we can get a hefty ransom for him to make a fresh start.
I would not be adverse to a carefully calculated rebuild, I just don’t know that Tilman will do that. Also, yes I agree Harden deserves a title - even if it is elsewhere.
Am I the only one feeling more optimistic a night after the loss? The bubble was always going to be weird. The Bucks lost in 5 games to Miami. Saw a TPA graph that showed Harden was one of the best players in the playoffs offensively, one of our best players defensively, and pretty much our only player to contribute offensively. Westbrook was predictably a net negative, but I don't think that January-bubble stretch was entirely a fluke. quad issues + recovering from corona... I wouldn't mind finding a replacement, but I don't think it's impossible he can come back and contribute under a new coach / slightly tweaked personnel. As for Harden, I think everybody calling to move on / rebuild will be kicking themselves a year or two into that miserable process, hoping to land a future star half as good as him. Wouldn't shock me to see Harden win a ring if he did go, which would only add to the pain. Realistically, the league is still wide open, and we still have a 2-3 window (at least) of contending. Harden has shown no signs of deteriorating - in fact, he's improved continued to improve, as he has throughout his entire career. What I am hoping for is a coach that instills more of a free-flowing, team approach offensively. Harden hasn't always been pure ISO - he can thrive just as much in a balanced attack, and I think this playoff shows we need that. A few roster tweaks, perhaps a versatile big that can stretch, allowing us to reap the benefits of micro ball without the glaring weaknesses (think Raptors w/ Siakam, Celtics w/ Theiss - not sure who's out there, but that's a start), and I'm not feeling to bad about the future. It's going to be an interesting off-season. Any chance we could bring Lowry back?
If you think of what Harden deserves, ok. Otherwise unless we have luck it might be 8 years before we get out of round two and 5 years to even get to the playoffs. Hey, the playoffs will be of no concern, but the NBA Draft will be more exciting.