Thompson isn't what this team needs either .... He doesn't create or orchestrate the offense , he feeds off of Curry's facilitating.
I think an additional play maker will sometimes help alleviate the pressure of Harden having to do that all the time when he's on the floor. I don't think that's the reason why we aren't legit contenders though. At this point more emphasis should be put on consistent efforts on the court and health. The Rockets have shown that if they compete from the start to the end they put themselves in a great position to win most games.
Why do we need a secondary playmaker? My answer: 4-2*. That would be our record last year in games Harden missed and Lin played meaningful minutes filling in for him. Among those wins included a game on the road against Memphis and a back-to-back against San Antonio and Dallas, one year ago today. He averaged 20.5 PPG, 5.8 APG and 4.3 RPG during that span. Say what you want about Lin, but the one thing nobody can take away from him was how he stepped into the starting lineup and elevated his game tremendously in Harden's absence. That said, Lin is a flake and very replaceable. But we need to find another player that brings that dynamic to the table. I fear with this team, despite being tougher and better defensively, would not go 4-2 (or 6-3) without Harden. He's literally our only facilitator, and the offense would likely crumble without him. Seriously, what happens if/when Harden has to miss a game? What would we do? Who runs the halfcourt offense? It's a scary thought. And as others have already mentioned: it goes deeper than just acquiring another playmaker to keep the offense going whenever Harden is off the court. Ideally, you also want this player to be able to play next to him as well. Luckily, the two big names being tossed around (Dragic and Lawson) both fit that description. So, whether that player is a one or two doesn't really concern me. We just need another player that knows how to run an offense. Where he technically plays isn't really a big deal. *Our actual record in games Harden missed was 6-3. I excluded a win against Atlanta (Lin played 4 minutes before injury), a win against Detroit (Lin/Harden both injured) and the season finale loss against NO when both players were intentionally rested.
I don't think the "second playmaker need" is coming from a place of unreliable bench production when Harden goes out. It's that a good defensive team can make things really difficult for a single player, but it's much more difficult for a team to key in on two players(or more) at once. ALL of Houston's worst games this year had one of two things in common - refs swallowed their whistle and teams were able to manhandle Harden, or we were against quality defenses who decided they would only try to shut down Harden and make anyone else on the roster beat them - and right now, there isn't another player who can beat his one on one matchup consistently. Right now Harden doesn't have his Robin offensively so he is forced to give the ball to guys who are more limited in offensive skills like: - Ariza - good shooter, poor ballhandler - only effective offensively as a 3 point shooter and on the break. - Beverly - inconsistent shooter, poor finisher at the rim, not consistent enough to be an effective shooter - Dmo -inconsistent long range shooter, streaky, most effective deep on the low block where he can utilize his touch - falls off a cliff offensively when he is pushed more than a few feet out of low block - Dwight - no shooting touch, only effective in a relatively small space near the basket - Terry - only a 3 point shooter at this point in his career - can't create his own shot against other starters which is why he plays on the bench - Brewer - good standalone 3pt shooter and good at finishing at the rim, doesn't take people off the dribble - you either find him in the corner for a 3 or find him on the break after turnovers he helped create. - Smith - poor shooter, decent finisher at the rim. Can generate a shot, but not a good enough shooter to make those shots he generates. ...that's pretty much our rotation. I won't insult you by recapping Dorsey's offensive strengths because frankly, he is only there out of necessity when someone else is injured. TJones - he looked okay last night but I don't know how he has (or hasn't) improved. He's a wildcard right now. SO when the defense says we are going to all collapse on Harden, his best options are hitting Ariza/Terry/Brewer for an open 3 or finding Dwight or Dmo at the hoop. If our opponent gets back quick enough to contest, the possession is basically over and we have to try to initiate another set. If this happens enough, we lose. If our shooters are having an off night, we lose. That secondary playmaker means not JUST Harden can get our players a shot - someone else can do it too making it harder for teams to key on only Harden, and saving Harden from carrying the team night in and night out on every possession giving him more left in the tank at the end of the game or when he has to guard let's say a Klay Thompson caliber player. I like our offensive options on most nights but
