Gotta give props to Harden's improvement this season

Yeeeeah. Anyone who's been watching him lately as opposed to last year knows he hasn't improved on being an efficient player. Harden got famous of two things: his beard and his ability to somehow rack up points without even shooting the ball. He was an electrifying player last year and I remember the games where we would BLOW OUT golden state and many other teams while harden had 40 points with 7/7 from 3. No harden has not improved as a player but he has been learning to win games without him absolutely needing hero ball. He's adapting to the new culture of the team and that's what is exciting about harden at this very moment

 

I hope Harden has learn enough by now that he is not the only or even the main reason that we win games. He needs to help the team win games rather than stacking his own stats and showing off his back passing or ISOs. He needs to put in enough effort on the defense side of the game.

He was lousy tonight on both offense (9-21 and 1-9) and defense (allowing the rookie Wolters to play like an all-star and career high scores), plus 5 turnovers. The lost opportunities by him almost cost us the game.

 

His isolation plays have gone down quite a bit this year. If you go back and watch games from last and compare to this year, this is incredibly clear.

As for iso plays in the 4th, they are by design when the Rockets try to control the clock. If you believe those plays are wrong, then you should blame those on Morey/McHale because they are the ones that call them.

 

Wat improvement. There none. His 3 point shooting is terrible. Biggest difference in this team dwight howard

 

Since Harden didn't guard Wolters at all last night, I'm assuming that you didn't watch the game? Is that the case?

You're comments are telling me that one of two things are true:

1) You didn't see the game and you're basing your comments off of assumptions that you made by reading the box score.

or

2) you watched the game and you didn't pay attention enough to see that the guy with the beard didn't guard Wolters at all last night.

 

Questions are useless; the point still stands. Harden let Middleton go off on him.

Made this guy go Danny Green on us.

 

I strongly agree with this part of your post. Harden is learning to play well without being ball-dominant. It's a recent phenomenon, but it is happening. To me that means he's improving as a player.

 

I never post bad about harden but i can't give him a pass today. Yes he's a star got Howard here etc. but it's still a team game. He should not be playing 40mins a night. His ISO play, lack of effort on D., and just flat out lazy on offense when he doesn't have the ball is not needed all those mins. I'm starting to see him not only ISO but never want to pass on a break to a teammate. You don't see this with Bev, Lin, cp they pass on breaks harden would rather get his points or get to the line

Bev should've been in there at the end. finishing that game he was playing solid on both ends of the floor. 1-9 from 3 is uncalled for you have to know when to stop shooting as a team LEADER aget other players going, and lock in on defense more, that's what STARS do on a off night. I don't see his ever with harden.

Lin and Howard have been carrying this team on this 5 game winning streak. and you can argue that that 2 Ls against Memphis could've had something to do with hardens play.

 

Funny that you say Danny Green. You must really not pay attention to basketball.

 

That's so far off from the truth.

http://on.nba.com/1o79eXb

Middleton scored two baskets on Harden, one off a fastbreak and another off a ridiculously tough shot (Harden was playing good defense on him). Harden certainly did not let Middleton go off on him.

http://on.nba.com/NoFVle

And here you could see Wolten never scored any of his baskets when Harden guarded him.

I would argue that other than a few defensive lapses last night, Harden played better perimeter defense than any other Rocket.

 

First of all if somebody is critiquing a game/player without actually seeing the game then that's meaningful.

Now, I'll ask you the same question: Did you see the game?
Middleton scored one basket with Harden guarding him and it was a contested jumper just inside the 3pt line with the shot clock running out. On all of his other baskets he was guarded by someone else or it was in transition.

 

I have found that this is typically the case. We have a ton of box score analysts around here.

 

ITT people that don't watch games and make up random shet about whoever Harden's guarding going off.

I swear to god people just go to boxscore after every game, see if any perimeter player bench or starter scored more than their average and blame it on Harden's defense. Yeah and without watching the game, it's embarrassing and you get called out on it you should stop posting.

 

Harden is much, much better at pretty much everything except the 3point shot, which he is mysteriously much worse at.

 

It's pretty hilarious how you can obviously tell who on here doesn't watch any of the games. It's even more hilarious how they then try to act like the smartest guy in the room.

 

Danny Green circa the Heat.

 

Something is missing here. Harden didn't guard Nate, right? Harden didn't guard Middleton right or is that Middleton only scored 2 baskets on Harden and the other 5 came on someone else?

I think those numbers are missing something big time here. I saw Middleton light up Harden for a stretch there.

Regardless, it's not earth-shattering, but when ****ing Khris Middleton is coming in and taking advantage of you it's enough.