I'll just say it..Is James Harden "throwing games" for reasons we don't know?

The game 6 results might have been a team reaction to game 5. I also thought that it looked like Harden was shaving points in game 5.

 

This is ludicrous. I don't know what happened, but point shaving is a dumb idea.

Does Harden need money???

The guy who played the worst and had the biggest impact in Game 6 was Harden. Why would Harden be crushed that his intended Game 5 results came true?.

I know we will probably never know the truth, but the concussion theory is the one that makes sense to me: Guy is playing great with 20+ at the half. Takes big elbow to the head. Plays the worst bball ever seen over the next two days. Looks drugged and dazed. Is that just a random coincidence????

 

If Harden thinks he can't get it done himself, he needs to demand that Morey get him a second Star. Instead, he sends vague messages like, "we need a playmaker" yea well adding Bobby Brown to the team ain't going to get us to the finals.

 

Give us all a break. The idea that a superstar making tens of millions of dollars every year to play in the League, and who has a $200 million shoe contract, is going to shave points? The idea is somewhere far past stupid.

 

He isn't throwing any games. Although, I never knew about the point shaving at ASU. Can someone provide evidence?

It's more likely that Harden doesn't yet have the winner's edge for clutch moments. It's mental. He was in OKC and often experienced defeat with a team that on paper would make a pet rock look like a GM superstar. Then he comes to Houston where he is undoubtedly the only superstar facing teams with multiple superstars. When we finally got Dwight, character problems really derailed us, furthering his ability to strengthen his mental game. Then we hire MDA that has Pop as his ultimate antagonist.

So from experience, being the only superstar, and hiring a coach that (although a genius in his own right) has his own demons to deal with, it's gonna be hard to have the mental game part down. Time and time again, mentality proves to be the deciding factor. Overall athleticism is only a tool, but it takes a mindful person to use them appropriately.

We need to concentrate on improving every position, finding ways to help every member cope appropriately with losses (NOT going clubbing the night after a massive lost), and potentially replacing MDA. He was genius in moving JH to PG, but this offense is pretty easy to run for pros. We need someone that can bring emotional and mental leadership.

 

I don't know the cause. I know it wasn't point shaving though, that is for sure. No motive. Just something little gossip girls would indulge

 

Hello Deckard,

Point Shaving and quitting on the team are two very different things.
Point shaving is where a player misses a couple of shots or lets up on the defense to affect the over /under that the Vegas odds makers use.
In most cases, the outcome of the game is not effected, just the point differential.
I don't think anyone is accusing Harden of point shaving.

However, it is clear that Harden turned his back on his teammates and quit in that game.
This is reflected by his overall lack of effort.
A bad game as a result of poor shooting does not affect the following:
- Sloppy Passes.
- No defense.
- No boxing out
- No rebounding
- Not shooting the ball when open.

The question is: Why or what made Harden quite on the team.
Was Harden upset with MDA?
Was Harden upset with Rockets management, Les Alexander, Daryl Morey?
Was Harden upset with his teammates?

It would be interesting to find out what the reason was and if it will affect Harden's performance in the future.

 

Hello. I didn't bring up point shaving, someone else did. Responding to such an absurd suggestion is perfectly reasonable, in my opinion. Everyone here has opinions, which is why ClutchFans exists. I have no idea why Harden played the way he did in game 6. No one, except possibly James, knows what happened to the guy, and even he might not be able to explain it, to himself or anyone else, but we all have opinions. I see numerous posts with theories presented as facts. That isn't unusual here, either.

 

------ my bad -----nvmd.

 

Long Beach and Compton touch each other.

*edit - nevermind, you said Riverside

Why was I thinking LBC? Eastsidas --> Riversidas

 

Hello Deckard, I am not a point shaving truther. I just feel it necessary to point out that there have been plenty of multi, multi millionaires that have gotten upside down very quickly......

 

No freakish ability like Steph Curry's shot, Max Kellerman? Um he slows down better than anybody, both figuratively and literally..

BTW I think SAS thinks james was stoned. seriously. Listen to him at 3:18 lol.

 

this thread makes me miss Jeremy Lin...

 

The conspiracy theorists are embarrassing yourselves, in my humble opinion.

 

What part of "I am not a point shaving truther" do you not understand

 

He learned his lesson after that Game 6 Clippers debacle.