Why do people think Rondo and Harden can't play together?

Harden is our point guard. Not Lin or Bev. Rondo would not work as a shooting guard.

 

Not all the facilitators are the same.

Someone who pounds in the paint and plays inside out is not the same as someone who drives and kicks.

If you put Pau Gasol next to Harden what you end up with is either Pau standing at the 3 point line, Harden driving into a contested lane, or a compromise with Pau operating just inside the 3 point line but still partially clogging the paint.

Just saying they are "facilitators" does not necessarily mean compatibility.

Houston's offense is built heavily around floor spacing. It's why EVERY player except for the Center (Dwight/Asik) can shoot the 3 pointer. It so that players like Parson's can flash to the basket and Harden can drive the lane.

Put a player that doesn't demand perimeter defense on the roster and you impact the spacing significantly.

And even IF Harden decides to play off ball, there is no guarantee that he'll be as effective since so much of his scoring efficiency is derived from his ability to drive the lane and draw fouls.

Any concept of fit between Harden and Rondo is purely theoretical, based upon a theoretical style of play that has neither been indicated by previous patterns of play, or tested in practice.

You're basically talking about trading away a player who is already offensively efficient and has proven the ability to play on AND off the ball as well as shoot from the perimeter for a player that has never shown an ability to play off the ball or shoot from the perimeter.

In other words, you're making a rather large bet in terms of salary, picks and assets on "It might work out!".

 

I've only heard the Lin fans say that because they have an issue with Harden stealing Lins job. What they don't understand is that Harden can play without the ball in his hands also, it's just currently better that way with Lin.

They could play together, but it wouldn't work because we really need to get a PF instead of a PG. Harden can just play PG if need be like Lebron did in the playoffs. Harden can't play PF.

I think from a budget and team perspective it wouldn't work unless the cap was bigger with our current make up.

Jones is just too small. Struggles to dunk; seems like it always bounces off the rim and has had multiple 2 rebound nights. D-Mo is arguably the worst defender mainly because he doesn't even look at the play.

PF is what needs addressing not PG

 

Good analysis, but you're forgetting that Rondo has the most valuable trait of all: Not being Jeremy Lin.

 

Could work but I think Harden is better with the ball and he likes it that way too. Reality dictates that the moment we take the ball away from him, his efficiency will drop because he won't be happy without the ball. It sucks and it's not the best attitude for a player to have, but that's what we have. That's our star player. We have to work with what we have.

Everything we do has to maximize the productivity of our star players, whether that's fair to the other players or not. There is nothing more important than having Howard and Harden on this team. So the best way to go about tackling Harden's deficiencies is to have someone at the 1 who can play D and is a good spot up shooter. At the 3 we ideally need someone who can defend the best SG/SF every night.

Getting someone like Rondo is a problem for Harden because what the hell is Rondo going to be doing when Harden has the ball? It allows teams to send more defensive help to Harden and Howard when they know they barely have to defend Rondo. An even bigger problem is having Howard and Rondo's FT woes on the same team - we're already struggling to make our FT's as is, and this would really put us in a hole having to deal with two starters playing 35 minutes barely able to hit 60% of their FT's and happy to use Rondo's man to double Harden and Dwight in the paint. Just a terrible terrible outcome. It reminds me of earlier in the season when people expected Asik and Howard to work out as a tandem based on wildly optimistic expectations of how things would play out. Reality is different. Reality is other teams and their coaches know how to defensively shut down a poorly constructed highly talented team. We don't want to be in that position.

On the defensive side, Rondo would be a great fit, allowing us to give Harden the easiest defensive job of the opponent's 1/2/3 spots.

If we had a stretch 4, we kept Parsons and had Harden's blessing, I might be more in favor of acquiring Rondo - if such a thing were even remotely possible with the assets we have.

 

Harden is not a point guard, he is a shooting forward at best with the biggest ego on the team. This is why he needs to have the ball until someone with a bigger ego takes over the team and the ball Lebron? Joe Johnson? Gay? I guarantee you they won't be passing the rock back to Harden.

As for this thread, just another attempt to undermine Lin who is OUR point guard for Houston.

 

And Rondo has probably reached his peak but still haven't secured himself as a good enough shooter. Lin hasn't reached his peak but has worked hard over the summer to become a great shooter.

 

they can't because Rondo is in Boston.

 

I think they can and I think Harden would end up being a very good fit. Stash him on the weakside and swing the ball. Instant drive or swing back. Few to none isolations.

But:

Exactly. All the Rondo trade ideas I've seen so far make little sense and sound very homerish to me. Asik, Lin... People think the other team would just throw away a foundational player when they don't have to. If Morey was running the Celtics, you know he wouldn't do that. So you must think that Ainge is terrible, then.

Even if Rondo asks for a trade or causes too much drama, then I imagine they'd look at teams that offer picks and prospects first.

 

Harden thinks he's the second coming of MJ so only faux PGs like Beverley can exist with him. A true PG like Rondo would have to completely change his game. Look what happened to Lin.

 

Harden wants the ball in his hand most of the time, only a player who is better than him can make him give it up and change his game style , Rondo is not one of those.

 

You guys would be complaining about Rondo in a few months the way you complain about all of the players. Nobody is as good as you think they are before they come to play for your team. It's all chess piece thoughts and talk, not the real guy with his real baggage and variations in his game. Has Dwight been what was said before he got here by those idealizing his play?

 

i think they are perfect match.

 

It is the NBA only allow 1 ball in the court. If they allow 2 ball, then yes.

Rockets has a ball handler, his name is Lin. Guess what, Harden still hold the ball.

 

If Rondo is added to this team, there must be a change in our offensive system to work around Rondo's game without decreasing Harden's game. If our team can do that, then by all means, I would love to see Rondo drive to the basket and make the other team sweat. A Rondo drive would lead to A) easy lay up B) D12 dunk C)kick out to 3-pt shooter D) Harden to reset the offense and initiate second drive (which would mean A-C are all viable again)/ISO play.)

 

Yeah, just a matter of time before Lin surpasses Rajon Rondo.

 

Nice, everything Lin currently does for the team. Good case for him.

 

If Harden can't play with other ball dominant players. What was he doing at OKC for 30 minutes a game, often starting the 2nd quarter with Westbrook and Durant. Two of the most ball dominant players in the league?

 

And this right here is when the thread should have ended.

 

People saying they don't want rondo on this team because he can't shoot are idiots that really don't know the game of basketball like they think they do. Jason Kidd couldn't shoot worth crap either but yet somehow managed to take previous lottery Nets team from the year before, to the NBA Finals the very next year. A lot of people on Clutchfans are greatly underestimating the value of a true pass first point guard.