Here, ill say it for those who dont want to speak out

I've gone on record that I think the Harden trade was a mistake, but the NBA has a long history of players who will fail or thrive depending on who is coaching them.

McHale should be on the hot seat.

 

Well I wouldn't say it's the worst. A lot of times, that mid range shot is wide open. Because people like to defend the three and the paint, it leaves the mid range open. MJ, had a killer midrange game.

 

Not to get sidetracked, but this is incredibly false. LeBron James has no midrange game to speak of.

Last season, James made just 39% of his shots from 16-23 feet. The league average is 35.9. James also had an assist percentage of just 21.6 from 16-23 feet. The league average is 58.2(!).

He doesn't even pass the eye test, as he has terrible footwork and zero moves in the high post beyond a fadeaway.

James' strength is, quite literally, his strength. He will rabbit punch his defender in the core and in the junk with his off arm to create separation while he uses his first step to blow by him and get to the line.

I won't go so far as to say he's a fraud, since that skill in the previous paragraph is extremely valuable in the league. But to pretend he not only has a midrange game but has "one of the better mid-range games" is just bananas. It's patently false.

 

You're one of the few people on here that actually watches basketball. Accurate post.

 

This is just stupid I apologize Trevor Ariza... Seriously??? Tell me when Trevor Ariza plays for the US Olympic team or is ever relevant again lol

 

I think Rafer Alston actually had his best playing days of his career in Houston, he just could not shoot on a consistent basis, he dropped 40 in the last game of "The Streak", and yet the next game prob. had 8 points...that was Rafer, he could ball hard, play smart one night, then the next night have 6 TOs, or had a great game shooting the ball the night before, then the next 5 couldn't do anything, Rafer also took a TON of SHOTS, lets not forget this....So was Rafer really used wrong?

JVG used him pretty well, and tried to limit his TOs, and Rick let him run the team, like a VET, just as JVG did....Rick had a lot less "RULES" though during that time, a lot of freedom...Rafer grew up as a Houston Rocket he was never a great PG, and should have never been STARTING in the FIRST PLACE, but we were at a LOSS for PGs for years prior, espesh after the Sura back issues that cost him his career, and maybe us a good PG for another year or two, regardless it wouldn't have mattered....

Aaron Brooks was a score first SG, that was too small so he was made a PG-he was a great 3 pt shooter in college, and his shooting translated well on over to the Rockets....I just don't see any similarities with Mchale as to the other two coaches, and the two PGs...and I haven't even spoke of Lowry....

Lin hasn't played all that much, in fact, a Lowry comparison is good-Lowry was held back bc of Conely in Memphis, and the 3rd string PG...He was starter quality though, as we came to find....Lin was held back for a number of other reasons, I won't go into any detail on that....Lin needs to learn how to A. cut down his TOs and B. play off the ball at times when you have a great player/facilitator as Harden....there are many other things Lin needs to work on including his shot, which Lowry worked on (at one time he looked worse than Lin out there)-I am only speaking of Lin on the Rockets this year, not last year, in comparing him to Lowry....When grabbed we signed Lin, we traded for Lowry big difference yes...Do we see Lin as our future PG, my guess is yes, but now that we have Harden all bets are off....But my bet is on Lin being a Rocket, and Harden and Lin being a "very talked about backcourt"-be happy we aren't playing STEVIE FRANCHISE, and Mobley ball, and let's not forget Moochie wait till no time is left, and launch it up....

I see a lot of promise with this team...It is going to take time for this whole "NEW" team to gel, and know what each is comfortable with, and for everyone to know their roles, cough cough DELFINO, and Patterson took 16 shots one game (a tad unlike him) in the third game of the season...

The blame game can go anywhere...Look this is a new team...Harden showed what he can do, you think he can't do it every night...just wait till the team gets gelled...Harden is trying to feed his teammates confidence, and see what they can do when he's playing, not so well...I'd say that's pretty smart...

I regressed a ton...but the backlash after what 5 games is unreal....I think ISO ball is being played a lot too....but people should be cutting to the basket, Lin tries to get people to do this, they'll pick up on it....Harden same way...
This is basically a "Whole NEW TEAM" - Give them time, just because they ran out the gates, doesn't mean anything...we were down in those games too...we could easily have won every game, just as we could have lost every game...we got 2 wins in 5 games....we are the YOUNGEST team in the L, people can't expect everything to happen all at once, and us just take the NBA by storm, we don't have that dominant of a team yet...We can see that...what we do have is something to build on, and continue to get better...and we have MONEY to spend at the end of the season...Morey, Les, and everyone in the Org. are working hard, crunching numbers...we will be ok in the long run...tonight is game 6 chill OUT...

LOL my member status says 2012, but I've been around since the OG clutchcity.net days...Long time lurker/old poster...but I won't reveal my old screen name I lost several years ago....Y'all have hooked me in talks this year, dunno if it is the LOF coming in here, or if it is that the Houston Rockets have just gained yet another following....with the acquisitions of Lin, and Harden...I'm sure there are some new fans that just expect greatness, but look like people have said it takes time "Rome wasn't built in a day" nor was America...Peace....Oh and Chill people that are on the cliff...get on the wagon, and we'll talk when we win, or get off and don't talk...6th game in, and I've never seen more whining, and blaming...Be glad we got Harden instead of Dwight with that trade package as well, because we have a 23 year old "ARIZA LMAO" locked up for 5 years, plus this year....I think Harden has proven before, and even now as a Rocket that he is LIGHTYEARS ahead of ARIZA, and the dude Harden he has HEART, he has a winning pedigree, he listens, he can dominate...I never saw Trevor ever able to dominate let alone DRIBBLE THE BALL!


"Sprial OUT KEEP GOING SPIRAL OUT KEEP GOING.."

 

It all makes sense now. Lin was brought to the Rockets to make China money, Asik was for Euro money, Harden & Ppat= African money and Parsons is for USA money. Thank you for making sense. Frigging idiot.

 

Some people here have lost their damn minds. Harden = Lebron or Kobe or Dirk??? He hasn't even played a full season as a starter and a no. 1 option and people are calling him the next Ariza?? smh

Seriously, we had the same problems on offense and defense as we did last year. Did people forget that? It wasn't until our 11th game that the team started playing well. People, IT WILL TAKE TIME. Last time I checked we are the youngest team and the most inexperienced in the league. People are expecting that we go undefeated or some inane thing like that.

Patience, people. Patience.

 

..and I was not really going after your reply DUDEWAH, more so going into your reply along with everyone else claiming way too much iso ball....and regressed onwards, so don't think I was just replying to your comment, or take offense.

I agree there are very few plays we "trust" right now, but time will tell...It'll be ok. Mchale just got handed a whole new team, and this is his 2nd year...so it's like his first year again....again I wasn't replying to just you DUDEWAH, but a number of people just happened to click on your reply, because I read your post last.

 

Disagree. Ariza peaked already. Hardon's rise has just begun.
Kneejerk fail.

 

This is so far off, I shouldn't even respond,but I will add my take on the situation. The struggle harden is experiencing isn't unfamiliar with players changing situations like he did. In okc,he got to sit on the bench,probe,and scout how teams are playing durant and westbrook. Both of those guys draw fouls,score points,and get a lot of attention. In houston, he doesn't have that luxury and teams have scouted him to frce harden to go to his weakness. They're trapping him hard,making him go to his off hand,and he's the #1 public enemy to them. In the starting lineup,he has a bunch of marginal nba starters. I'm not worried about harden because this is new for him ad he will get better. Maybe not 1st 2 games better,but better in general.

 

Nope. I don't remember Ariza ever having a good game much less two.

 

Response

Harden will never be MJ in 5 years. He doesn't have the elevation or an array of offensive weapons. Good D will continue to strip him of the ball time and again. His skills depend on making good passes and mixing up good shots and driving when opportunities are there. Right now, he's taking very tough shots, because he's forcing them, thinking he's MJ. He's not.

 

I'm totally bookmarking this thread so OP can eat crow at the end of the year.

 

There is a double standard on this board. Lin is performing where his pay rate should be and harden is way underperforming his pay rate. But the board is quick to crucify lin and and quick to defend their max player who sucked 3 games straight. Harden is a max player and should perform like one regardless of the defense, all other max player do the same. If he cant handle it, then he's not a max player. Not yet at least.

Its still too early to tell so we definitely have to wait until mid season to gauge any player. The problem right now is mchale. His rotations are horrible. 2nd word 3 point shooting team camping out on the 3 line shooting 3 all day. Turn 2 pnr players into isolation players and spot up 3 point shooters. Stupid. What's missing is a big man to run a pick and roll with. Harden and Lin has nobody to pass to on the roll, asik is horrible as he can't catch nor can he finish. An upgrade at the 4 will fix this problem.

My report card from this early season, mchale is a horrible coach.

 

This makes no sense. How is Harden under performing at his pay rate when his salary increase doesn't start until next season?

 

Harden is not getting max this year but he is getting a max 5 year contract. Just like everybody is judging lin on his last $14mil year, harden should get the same treatment. Still too early to judge if Harden is worth the max. Mid season and we will know.

 

At first i was annoyed at the people disparaging people who joined in 2012, i thought it was divisive and unfair. But after reading thread after thread and post after post of hateful ignorant things it has changed my mind. It has really made coming on clutchfans very different. Its sad that i either have to read through many ignorant posts or put many people on ignore just to get to some good mature conversation. It makes me sad because i love clutchfans, and i dont know if we will ever have our old clutchfans back.

 

I was reading clutchfans way before 2011 btw

 

Well first the salary cap for Lin in that 3rd year is 8 million (pay out is 14 million) but I could care less about his pay out the cap hit is all that matters. People who are judging him based on that 14 million dollar figure are dumb judge him based on 8.3 million a year.

Just because people are unjustly judging Lin doesn't mean we do the same to harden. James isn't getting max until next year so frankly I will wait until the max 5 year contract kicks in before I start judging.