Why hasn’t butler seen multiple bodies since he is killing the lakers. Answer that please. This is two games where he has destroyed them and still no trap. Why haven’t they forced other players like Herro to beat them. Why ?
Because they have a competent coach and system. I understand that harden sees more doubles than anyone, but that is partially because he and the coaching staff (and FO) continue to allow it to be effective
Harden would be much much different in another organization. It’s the rockets dumb system and philosophy that allows a simple double to end there season.
You really asking this question? The answer is because harden doesn’t run off screens like butler so it’s easy to just contain him! Get the ball out of hardens hand and he’ll just stand there!
Butler does not run off screens he isolates and does dribble handoffs. The difference is the heat have MOTION.
1) Butler is averaging over 10 assists per game in the series already. The Lakers have tried the occasional double and it doesn't work at all. The Lakers didn't start doubling Harden until after game one. Once they did we never really figured it out so they never stopped. 2) Butler is playing off the ball too. He gets a good chunk of his plays on cuts and even offensive rebounds. Can't double on those. 3) He's catching the ball closer to the hoop, around 18 feet or so. There are better passing angles to shooters and cutters from that spot. Harden got trapped at well beyond the three point line as that's where he initiates the offense. The Lakers aren't going to double Butler beyond the three point line because he can't shoot. They want him to take those midrange shots. They're putting AD on him. Butler is basically playing like prime Wade right now. Would you double him beyond the arc? How do you double someone like him?
You need to be realistic. I don't care what Harden's game is predicated on, he's not going to bring a championship to Houston. That's the bottom line. Close is just not good enough anymore. Blow this thing up and get back to basketball and not small ball.
1. Those doubles were able to work because Westbrook or Rivers either A: Killed the functionality of our spacing with their horrendous shooting and B. Could not be trusted to be Harden's release valve on a 4v3. 2. Harden being off ball is not what our coach wanted. The Heat's offense is predicated on ball movement. Ours was not. 3. Do you see any Duncan Robinsons or Tyler Herro sharpshooters on our team that got playing time? Do you see any Bam Adebayo's on our team(I know he's been injured but Bam has been very good for them on this playoff run) Do you see any Goran Dragic's on our team, again talking about the totality of our playoff run here. 4. As for putting Butler close to the basket, that again is a coaching choice. Yea they put AD on him and if AD hadnt of gotten injured, we might not be having this conversation right now. Because you could never get away with putting AD on Harden.
I agree with that. But like you said, if he stays, he's going to have to change his game up a little and get some better players around him. If you can recall, nobody wants to come here and play with the rockets or Harden for that matter. We couldn't even get Jimmy Butler here. That's a big problem when no one wants to come here and play. Nobody want to play with a player that has to consistently have the ball in his hands. James is a good player, but a different type of player that maybe another organization might have a need for his skills. To make a long story short, James, if he wants to capture an NBA Championship, he's going to have to go to another ball club. It's just not going to happen here.
Where is the evidence that no one wants to come play here? Like I have no idea where this came from. And why do you say we couldnt even get Jimmy Butler like he wanted to go play with Lebron or Kawhi or something. Like I dont understand what the logic is here. How long has it even been since we've actually had cap space.
Exactly! I don't know how ppl watch how the heat and the rockets play and come to these wild conclusions. They are the total opposites in play style.
I answered a question specifically about why the Lakers doubled Harden while not double teaming Butler. Why talk about totality of each team's playoff run rather than our matchup with the Lakers? Dragic has barely played in this series and Bam has missed two games, both were injured in the first game. While I respect Robinson's and Herro's games, they aren't stars. EGo, PJ, and Covington are all capable of hitting shots too. EGo shot 42.1% on 7.6 three point attempts per game against the Lakers, PJ shot 37.5% on 4.8 attempts, while Covington shot 50% on 4 attempts. They all shot better than Herro has so far. As for coaching and offensive scheme note that Harden specifically wanted Westbrook and had tension with CP3, who wanted more ball movement in our offense. Harden has more isolation attempts than some entire teams. I'm not going to throw that entirely at MDA's feet as that appears to be Harden's preferred style as well. I'm not saying Butler is the better player, I'm just answering why the Lakers prefer not to double team him while they did so with Harden.
Now people are saying Butler is a better player than Harden? This place is ridiculous. The amount of crap that gets spoken here is stupid. Harden played great against the Lakers. If his supporting cast stepped up, like Butler's has, the Rockets would have beaten the Lakers. Westbrook turned up in 2 games, the rest he was awful in. Nobody else was scoring consistently besides Harden.... which is shocking considering Harden left them a 4v3 situation most times. As we're seeing in these finals, if most of the supporting cast steps up, that team wins. Harden barely gets that help.
Huh? Harden averaged 30 points, over 7 assists, over 5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and nearly 1 block against the Lakers. He also shot efficiently against the Lakers. All that whilst getting double-teamed most of the game.
Lebron last night felt what it's like to play like a superhero but still lose because your superstar number 2 is hobbled and your supporting cast blow all those open shots you create.
