So we can get our butts kicked by Memphis or Denver or Clippers? Nah I reckon our bigs can thrash OKC.
I think he is rusty. He needs to play, but take a less active role for a couple of games. Out right not playing won't really help. but clutchfans knows how obsessed he is with his stats...
He definitely was not close to 100% today. I don't know if I'd sit him until we're officially in the playoffs though. Maybe just limit his minutes to 35ish if he does suit up.
Since the Golden State game, Harden has not been playing close to the level he has been earlier in the season. He is just jacking up way too many contested threes, and driving less to the basket. Hopefully its the sore foot that's causing this, and if it is he should just rest until playoffs.
If Harden plays like he did tonight, we'd be better off resting him until the Lakers game for a tune-up before the play-offs.
I'm not a Harden hater by any stretch of the imagination. I like to go by 'eye-test' a lot and although he filled up the box tonight, he's certainly had much better games. A lot of lackadasical defense, not getting back to his man and leaving Parsons hanging on two guys, forcing too much with some questionable shot selection, ISO plays and decisions. Harden's great, he just wasn't at his best tonight, and I'm concerned maybe he hasn't recovered from his nagging injuries yet. Would be nice to have a fresh Harden in the play-offs, no?
I don't care what Harden gets as long as the ball movement and defense from the games without him, continues "with him". Harden is just coming back so he has a pass, but for some of the possessions, it looked like same old Harden and his sticky fingers. He also lazed it up on D a couple times. It was almost like the team was playing around Harden, while he got his stats, if that makes any sense. I want to see Harden fit into this all ball movement, movement without the ball, all game long style they play now(or should I say, what they were supposed to look like this whole time). He can do his ISO in the final minutes, but the rest of the game should be about getting buckets within the offense.
REPPED! BTW I dont like his iso even in final minutes I would say particularly not in final minutes... his iso in final minutes lost us many games...so ****ing predictable...
More rest. Back to back coming up, he shouldn't be playing both of those games. I think we should limit him to 30 minutes against Portland, and completely sit him out of the Denver game the following night. It would give him 2 days of rest and one practice where he could take it easy. That should do wonders for his ankle and his fitness. I don't think there's any point trying to win on the second night of a back to back against the best home team in the league with a good defender on the wing in Iggy. Dude is clearly tired. He did ok considering the circumstances tonight, but we need him rested and we need him to be able to push off that ankle without hesitation. Was very clearly hindered. We're really playing with fire by giving him 40 minutes on a sore ankle after he sat out a couple of games. The guy is a competitor so you're going to have to TELL HIM to sit or cut his early minutes so that he doesn't feel like the game is slipping away. My concern is that McHale has the terrible old school mentality that he's young and injuries are not important going into the playoffs. Reality is that odds are virtually identical whether against San Antionio or Oklahoma City, but our odds can be significantly better with a healthy Harden vs a tired/injured Harden.
Did he play great? No Did he play bad? Of course not Dude almost got a triple double and didn't shoot THAT bad. 7-19 ain't good but it's not horrendous. 5 turnovers ain't good either but that's just rust.
I wouldn't say so. Plenty of times he made an extra pass or a right pass. Couple too many Iso's probably but nothing egregious like some dude's make it out to be.
