The poster said McHale has been practicing "play motivated ball or you won't play." You said he's never done that to Harden. He did in that game against the Clips. That's all... really nothing to argue.
Wow you had to dig to deep to game in 2012? Did you notice that Harden took 11 free throws both those games? Even if he is cold, he is able to get points for us. For the laker game , he led the team in assists and rebounds (10). which means he had a double double. He had the most contribution for the team that night. You had to back a year to look for a game to backup your claim and still FAILED? LOL.
In both games against the Clips Harden played solid starter minutes. Neither game did McHale bench him. That's all. As I wrote earlier, McHale does not ride the "hot hand". It's just an excuse to bench Lin sometimes. Morey said Lin was the 3 or 4th best player on the Rockets last season where he started all 82 games. This season Morey said Lin was arguably the 2nd best offensive player. The Rockets probably wouldn't make the playoffs last year without Lin and this year till he out of the blue got benched with 17 minutes, Lin was arguably the leading candidate for 6th man of the year. Weather Harden is hot or cold he plays his minutes often 40+ even when he plays unmotivated, no D, high TO, and low shooting %. Regardless he plays his minutes. Parsons started the season poorly. Many on clutch wondered if Parsons was done and we should trade him or what's up with his shot this season. Regardless how poorly he played for the first 6-8 games Parsons started and played his regular minutes. Often high 30s to 40s. McHale rightly does this because you stick with the guys who prove themselves in the past. Lin was balling all season and he got benched out of the blue just for missing 2 FG and only played 17 min when the previous 5 games he was avg close to 20 ppg on very high FG%. You dance with the one who brought you...Manu during his prime good games or bad games he got his minutes because he was their 6 man. McHale just need to be more consistent and not use these fake excuses because it is so easily shown to be nonsense. If he doesn't like Lin he doesn't like Lin don't lie and say "I'm going with the hot hand" because he never does that for anyone except when it comes to Lin. Jeremy as our 6th man should always play at least 29-33 mpg every game unless it's a blowout, he's in foul trouble, or he got hurt. Like Harden, Parsons they can be playing poorly all game long but you stick with them till they prove over an extended period of games like 10+ that they don't deserve the playing time. Parsons played poorly to start the season but he knew coach would not just bench him. This allows players to relax and play their game.
Just look at his bad games this year as well as last season. Harden will always get his minutes. McHale does not "ride the hot hand". If Lin had a poor shooting night and played poorly on D BUT had decent Asts I guaranteed you would not be making this argument. As I said and everyone who is not a lemon and has a mind can see the "I'm riding the hot hand" does not apply to most and is likely just a fake excuse.
Why do these ex YOF/LOF's pick names such as dream 34 or HAK 34 or sugarland dream as in Houston subarb. Just call you'rself lin fan and be proud. I'm a LOF and proud of it.There is no shame being a ex YOF/ LOF convert.
And what is wrong with going back to last season? This current season is brand new and Harden has missed several games already. In this short season, McHale proves all season long regardless how poorly Harden plays he will get his minutes. McHale apologists point to the 2 Clippers game when he will "bench" Harden and I showed he played heavy min in both games. Neither game was he "benched".
@SugarLandDream8 -- the post you responded to said nothing about McHale riding the hot hand. At all. You bolded the part above and said he never once "did that with Harden" -- in other words, that he never once decided not to play Harden because he was playing unmotivated ball. He just did that a few games ago, as several people have pointed out to you. Again, there is really nothing to dispute here.
What do you call it when your reasonably healthy franchise player doesn't play the whole 4th quarter? What's the cutoff number of minutes to qualify as a benching? Most everybody on this forum -- LOFs included -- could see that McHale sat Harden in the 4th as a punitive measure because he was sucking it up out there.
We won tonight, didn't we? Case closed. Now that we want to be contenders, coaches are starting to apply tough love to all our players. Unlike last year, this early Harden is being given the message that his iso-ball in the endgame won't cut it. Asik can't play if he won't give the effort. Even Howard realizes he will sit if he's ineffective.
So playing 38 minutes and then 33 minutes in the 2 games against the Clippers was being "benched". Ok when he plays Harden 20 min or less than get back to me. As I said since Harden has been here, regardless how poorly he plays, and there has been some stinkers where he did nothing but shoot low FG%, high TO, No D, and played 40+ minutes. Harden is hardly healthy. He's been hurt since the preseason and has never been healthy this who season but look at his mpg. As I said, Harden smokes Lin on offense. It's not even close. Just pointing out McHale doesn't play the hot hand and never has for Harden, Parsons...
This is how it's been during the latter part of the season, and it seems equal opportunity, IMO. Harden crap in LA - sit. Asik crap in Philly - sit. Bev crap vs. Toronto - sit. Lin crap in Dallas - sit. Dwight crap tonight - sit.
Jeremy played 31 minutes tonight, so that shouldn't qualify as a benching according to your standard. Or are you still upset about Dallas? Not trying to be contentious, honestly asking.
He doesn't sit Harden if he plays unmotivated. If he did, Harden would have been benched 20 games last season and several this year. Playing 33 minutes 1 game where he was trash is not constitute being benched. Lin and others are lucky to get 33 minutes even if they are balling.
I don't think Jeremy was benched today. I think he was benched when he balled all season long and coming off 5 games where he avg 20 ppg then out of the blue only got 17 min just because he missed 2 FG that one game. I consider that being benched. When he did not even play 1 bad game all season till that day. And he was dishing out asts that game and no TO and playing decently on D. That is being benched. When that happens to Harden then McHale is being consistent.
