Is there a path that leads to a Championship in the Harden era?

Can someone who has watched a lot of Westbrook video with the Thunder explain how he ran that offense? He got a lot of assists, right? How did he do it? Are there some things he could recover, or learn to do, in that crucial moment where (after a double team on Harden) Westbrook has beaten his man but is facing a rim protector at the basket, and has three available teammates with only two defenders left to guard them?

Solve that problem, punish the doubles on Harden, and we have a path forward.

 

I have no idea. Morey has done some crazy stuff before and I hope he pulls something out his hat again.

also, I have to eat crow. I thought Russ would be better than CP3 in the playoffs but was proven disastrously wrong. Thinking of our team for the past 2 years just makes me sad.

 

Those offenses he ran by himself never amounted to anything as a whole unfortunately. The problem with people wanting to take the ball out of Harden's hands and into Russ's is that you are essentially devaluing Harden's efficiency for an inefficient player. Harden himself will not be nearly as effective off the ball either. He's not Lillard or Curry, he cant run off of screens and shoot quick shots like them. Russ still wasnt efficient by himself even with small ball only lineups even during his hot stretch.

What the Lakers did was put Anthony Davis on Westbrook, than double Harden. That way you could stop Harden and sag off of Westbrook to protect the paint...its unfortunate. Im sure he can play better....but its not THAT much better to where he can be the second best player on a championship team.

 

Sounds like pretty simple math, right? You would think that people who live their life in basketball would figure that out in no time. Yeah, I thought so too.

 

How do you come up with this stuff? Elite spread pick and roll offense until he arrived in Houston?

What compels you to just say things with no evidence?

Westbrook points per possession as the pick and roll ball handler in the 4 years prior to arriving in Houston

15/16 : .85
16/17 : .89
17/18 : .85
18/19 : .78

NONE of this is elite. This is NOT good offense.

Wait a second. What do we have here.

Westbrook points per possession as the pick and roll ball handler in Houston....

.93

BETTER than his last 4 OKC years.(still far from elite)

Come on man...

 

Get Cassell
get a center
Play a normal offense

 

At the moment, this is my principal gripe with D'Antoni. I can't believe he didn't or couldn't get Westbrook to make the simple play in this situation. Is Westbrook completely uncoachable, or was D'Antoni too upbeat or forgiving to drive the message through to him?

 

Can’t spell championship
Without a C

 

It’s frustrating that there’s no chance of young players leveling up. Except House I guess, if he stays and that relationship can be repaired. Not that a better House alone would get us to a championship.

 

True. But in the context of a double team on Harden, we're not asking Russ to be efficient 5 on 5. We're asking him to be efficient 4 on 3. Even with his limits, he should be able to do that.

Yeah, that's on James. He's gonna have to develop more of that if he wants a ring.

Why couldn't Westbrook screen for a shooter off the ball? Either Davis (or similar big man) switches to cover the shooter, in which case Russ can get the ball and take on his new defender, or Davis stays put, and we get the open shot.

 

No.

 

It has been floated to try and trade Russ for two solid players.

If someone like Sacramento was open to a Russ for Bogdan/Hield or Bogdan/Barnes, or Bogdan/Bazemore I am at least listening.

We will also need to sacrifice EGo and or House for a quality big body. Ego/House for KLove and Garland or Sexton.

Maybe get a few picks in those trades too. If we could pull two trades like this, those are all average to better than average 3pt shooters.

Have no idea if these trades would work under the cap.

 

I wish he could, but he just doenst have a high basketball IQ and doesnt make good decisions with the ball.But you are right, maybe that's on coaching idk.

Maybe? He'll never be as good as those guys off ball. That's never gonna be his type of game imo. He could move more, no doubt. But the bigger problem is Westbrook is never gonna be good enough to support him.

That's a pretty good idea actually. Dantoni got heavily out-coached this series. I just wanna say thought that Russ couldnt even isolate Markief Morris this series. He wasnt that effective taking dude's one on one. He's been pretty bad this whole series. Regardless of a 4v3 situation. I hope to god there is a coach out there who can help him. I just dont see it personally.

 

I'd explore trading Harden to be honest. Thats really how bad of a situation we have here. There is no upside with Tilman's fiasco.

I'd look to Philly / OKC

Send Harden / Paul / Covington to Phi

Simmons / Westbrook to OKC

and give us bad contracts, our picks back from OKC, and most of Phis future picks.

We owe it to Harden to give him a chance to win.

 

Hope everyone retires and it's just the Rockets + GLeague players

 

Westbrook needs to work exclusively on 3’s from one specific corner in the off-season and throughout the regular season. If we’re not in transition, then he should be parked in that corner waiting for a 3 or a cut or to go ISO on a mismatch.

We give Russ the ball in transition and he can go ISO anytime he has a good matchup, attacking the basket Giannis-style (which is actually Russ style lol). We should let Russ be usage leader in the regular season imo, because that’s another we get an advantage from him: keep Harden fresher for defense and playoffs.

In turn, Harden has to be alert and involved when he’s off the ball.

It’s really not that complicated. MDA just got lazy with his planning.

 

You have a point though. In the 4 on 3, it was still drive to score or drive to kick (for a 3pt). That worked in the regular season, in the playoffs they hardly varied it up in the Laker series. Russ did add some mid range here and there (even banked a couple shots). He also had passes that completely missed the target, or when he drives he looked more for a foul than finishing. But as a LAL defender, you just parked near your man and played the passing lane, Rockets 3pt shooter person didn't move much. If you moved too much; it's harder for the passer (russ/austin/ego) and the Rockets receiver. It's a bit of balancing act, and maybe more practice on set plays.

A lot could have been done in those 4 on 3. Offense became predictable.

edit; I may have to rewatch, but I also remember after Harden passes out of the double for that 4 on 3. To our non haden playmaker, on some plays it took Russ/Austin/Ego some time to "wind up". Like dribble gather moves to iso break down their man. This isn't inherently bad, but the 4 on 3 quickly went back to 4 on 4. This didn't always happen, but I did recall a few plays; where LAL quickly shifted back.

Everybody could have been sharper.

 

The greatest scorer that gets hampered too easily or too often when the going gets tough. Unfortunately, would trade him straight up for James 'Jimmy' Butler in a heartbeat which seems attainable compared to anyone else in Harden's tier.

 

If we have the same roster and a coach who's going to have the same 3pt heavy focus and short rotation, then say bye bye.

 

There is no clear path for a championship with Harden or Westbrook. Harden was used effectively in OKC as the sixth man. Westbrook's skills are clearly declining. Some way, form , or fashion, we need to move away from these guys, especially if we want another championship. Harden is a great player, but he's just not a franchise player. We as fans, including myself, have to realize that.