Isiah on Harden and Lin: Could be the best backcourt in the NBA

That's true, it would be interesting to see how much they can both improve together. Most importantly really is if Harden can improve his defense to an acceptable level. If we can get a low post scorer than we'll be in great shape as well. Harden isn't Lebron and Lin isn't Wade so while it will be nice to see them both coagulating and learning to coexist I don't think the relationship will ever be as harmonious and explosive as the Wade & Lebron one, which was already apparent in the first season even if they had an overlapping game.

 

If harden could d like Joe d he would be the best player in the league after lebron

 

Not really that far from where he is right now

most people seem to rank him in the top 10

 

because of "houston reasons", I have to catch all the away broadcasts.
most of the announcers jerk to harden, lin and parsons how young and talented they are. it's only here, home of the houston rockets, where a lot of that negativity happens.

 

His D is.what will.hold him back from being at the apex. Im afraid I don't like what I've seen on that front. I don't know if his instincts are bad or he's just lazy. I hope its the former but he does have trouble keeping his man on front of him. Too bad u can't rely on a euro step d.

 

Pretty much this. I haven't heard opposing announcers criticising them at all while heaping on praise. I know its' their job to hype the game but for the most part they've been especially generous with their compliments.

The Denver announcers definitely hate Harden but outside of them I don't recall any announcers really disliking our core - just a few comments here and there about Harden's playing for fouls, Lin's averages or Asik's ballerina lay-ups but that's about it.

 

Not really an away announcer, but there's always Jon Barry who drinks the haterade.

 

Not really an away announcer, but there's always Jon Barry who drinks the haterade.

 

Sorry for the double post! Shows Jon Barry drinks double haterade!!

 

Are you sure you replied to the right post? I'm not sure how away team announcers and Isiah Thomas' horrendous track record at judging talent are related in any way.

As for away announcers, I've never heard them really talk bad about any of our players. Just like Worrell and Bullard don't really badmouth our opposing players. And I catch everyone, since I live outside the US and usually download games(which feature home team's announcers). So again, I don't know what any of this means to this particular thread.

 

Exactly. The Heat sucked in terms of chemistry for that 1st year but since they are by far the most talented, they could still win on talent alone. James and Wade struggled in sharing the ball as their styles clashed. They solved it by concentrating and developing other parts of their natural game: post game for James and off the ball movement and cuts for Wade. Note that these were all natural developments in terms of skill sets, position and morpho type for both players, they were not being put into roles alien to their natural abilities. Can you imagine Lin or Harden being primarily spot-up shooters or off-the ball players? Every times Lin tries to defer to Harden and take a primarily off the ball role, he sucked. That's because they both occupy the same particular niche that make them valuable: creative ball-handlers. But they can't get around the fact that there is only one ball.
Hence Lin and Harden will eventually have to go their separate way if they want to really flourish. D-Fish type of PGs are a dime a dozen in the NBA and contrarily to Clutch-fans legend, there are other big-time scorers who don't need the ball as much as Harden.

 

The perfec PG compliment to harden plays d. Can hit the spot up 3. and protects the ball. I think we have someone on our team with these qualities.

 

This is their 1st year playing together. You have to give them some time. The other good back courts doesnt play great defense either. ANd you cant expect these two to be lockdown defenders either. Why because other Combo Guards are good as well..You are not locking down Curry/Thompson, Kobe/Nash, DWill/Johnson, and others...

 

Assuming you're referring to the NBA ranks of the two, I would say a lot of people would place Harden 8th before Melo's 9th because he's the better player. Both play abysmal defense, but Harden is just as efficient as Melo while being a much better playmaker. The only people who I've seen argue otherwise are Knick's fans.

 

Wade wasn't good off the ball until Lebron got there, I fact he rarely cut at all. Your reasons for Lin and Harden not being able to coexist makes me think you came out from under a rock to watch basketball right after lebron won his first title. No, cutting is not a "natural" strength. What the hell does that even mean? There are no natural skills, their are only learned ones. People wanted to trade wade their first years together, basically exactly what you are saying. Learn from history.

 

Don't Lebron and Wade both base their game on getting to the paint and drawing contact.

I think the major difference besides talent and defensive abilities, Wade has learned to play off the ball more and has gotten a lot of points from cuts and Lebron making good passes.

Lin and Harden can definitely work, they both just need work on their game and they are both young.

Even if they can't work, I think we need to wait until end of next year to judge.

Either way our future looks bright and I believe we can pull off an upset this playoffs.

 

I can imagine both of those men improving their spot-up AND off ball games. we're talking about two talented young players. are they as talented as wade and james? no, but I don't think that means they're unable to grow together.

lin has been hitting from 3 lately, and that's likely to improve in an off season. pretty sure he can become a good spot up shooter. harden can learn to play off ball better over time too, and he can develop a post game. he already catches it in the high post, faces up, and drives. move that to the low block and have him develop a couple back to basket moves on top of his face up game. both guys have excellent court vision and are willing passers, and they can both finish in transition.

I doubt they're absolutely unable to find ways to coexist and improve together on offense. more concerning than their offensive chemistry, both men need to become better defenders like isiah said. something that james harden needs to work on especially. if they can take giant strides over the next few years on defense, I agree that they can be the best backcourt in the nba. their offense isn't even concerning; they just need to take baby steps.

 

As bad as Menlo is defensively he's still better than harden at it. His offensive game is a lot more varied too. About the only thing harden does better is create but that's to be expected given their respective positions.

 

I am going to beat my drum a third time.

Lin has to turn himself into a lock down defender at the PG position. That means he has to plonk himself at Gary Payton's doorstep for one whole month in the summer and learn EVERYTHING about defending.

He's done it once, he can do it again. Heck, he can ask the Glove to take him to school now in a head-to-head. He has earned that right. And I'm sure the Glove would enjoy showing his protege the ropes.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203918304577241710317187398.html

Forge himself a top notch individual defender and a top notch team defender (ala Isiah Thomas / Gary Payton), improve his jump shooting and ball handling, and there will be at least 10 teams lining up for his signature when his contract is up. In the meantime, he can cover up for the defensive load of the "best backcourt in the league" for the next two seasons.

 

That's what he's saying.