Rank 1st in minutes played per game (51.8). Rank 1st in field goal attempts per game (96.0). Rank LAST in assists per game (17.0). ISO City it is.
Only going off the ESPN play-by-play so TIFWIW: Game 1 4th Q: 3:17 James Harden lost ball turnover (Nicolas Batum steals) 2:58 Jeremy Lin lost ball turnover (Mo Williams steals) Game 2 4th Q: :21 James Harden offensive foul/turnover Game 3 4th Q: 3:15 shot clock turnover OT 1:19 Jeremy Lin lost ball turnover (Nicolas Batum steals) Game 4 4th Q: :28 Jeremy Lin lost ball turnover (Mo Williams steals) OT 4:37 Dwight Howard lost ball turnover (Wesley Matthews steals) OT 2:51 Dwight Howard lost ball turnover (LaMarcus Aldridge steals) OT :02 Patrick Beverley lost ball turnover (Wesley Matthews steals)
no surprise Portland resembles a team while the Rox is all about 2,3 player scoring and 1 guy defending
The offense this team ran the last 5 minutes was the most pathetic excuse for an offense I've ever seen. Jeremy Lin dribbled in place for 15 seconds, then threw a risky pass to Harden at the top of the key, which resulted in James ISOing and throwing up a horrible shot. Then when they realized that doesn't work, James got the ball, Howard came to set a screen but instead of coming off that screen, Harden just dribbled in place like he didn't have a clue what to do. All of those PnRs, and all of that off-ball movement they did all game went straight out the window in crunch time. Just like it has all season. A great team would learn from that. We'look see exactly what kind of team this is now.
Run the high PnR with Dwight and James period. Leave Parsons, Lin/Bev, and Troy Daniels in the game. It's a layup, alley oop dunk, or 3. Stop the Dwight post up or Harden iso. Dumb and easy to guard.
What that tells you is that in crunch time, when this team needs direction and coaching, it's nowhere to be found. No ability to close out games, no understanding of how to break down defenses, and no composure under pressure. Harden and Howard need to take control, and basically run the PnR over and over again if they want to have a chance at some decent looks.
It's a system problem much more so than a player problem. When that 8 minute mark hits, the call from the bench is clearly to avoid anything that worked in the game up to that point, go to whatever matchup McHale thinks is a good one, and just pound that matchup over and over with no plan B until the buzzer. In crunch time have we seen one single curl screen to get Harden the ball with downhill momentum? Have we seen a single fast-paced pick and roll where someone just attacked (compare to the few Harden-Howard P&Rs that WERE called, where instead of going to the basket Harden focused all his effort on ensuring that he stuck his butt into Wes Matthews, sealed him off, and then waited for a defensive collapse that wasn't coming because he was not attacking the paint)? Even those sweet Parsons paint cuts off Dwight postups dried up in the crunch.
I think y'all are missing a key component to all this. POR has Lillard starting and finishing plays. He's one of the most steady and clutch players in the game. HOU has Harden, a talented, but extremely volatile player. His deficiencies are further heightened in the clutch when he's going up against a great defender like Matthews.
I LOST MY MIND on that play. He had a decent look at a three AND a lane to the basket. What in the hell was he doing there?
