I don't mind ROCO, my issue is I don't think it'll be easy to replace Clint. I guess we'll see. If we find a good replacement and Roco can play more of his natural positions, it's a win-win in the end. I just think it'll be hard. No draft picks, no cap space, we're scraping the barrel for bigs now. I also think we were just cutting salary, we cut a lot of guys around that time, I think Clint's contract factored into it, as every Tilman decision will come down to money...unfortunately. As for that series, should have been 5 games max if not a sweep and Russ should have never had to rush back to play.
The Thunder took the Rockets to a game 7 because the Rockets bungled the final minute of game 3 and came out playing lazy defense in game 4. Russell Westbrook was in street clothes both games. That said, Westbrook was not good this postseason, and I resoundingly agree with you on that. Also, Harden’s teammates (Covington, Gordon and Westbrook) most definitely carried the team offensively for the first three quarters of game 7. It wasn’t until Harden checked in the fourth quarter that he started becoming a net positive on offense. He scored or assisted on the Rockets final 13 points and made the defensive play of his career to seal the win. If he doesn’t make that block on Dort and the Thunder win, the blame rightfully would have fallen on Harden. He was horrible offensively for the first three quarters of the game, and if Covington, Green, Gordon and Westbrook weren’t picking up the slack, the Thunder would have blown the Rockets out.
It makes sense because I'm trying to prove the point that stats need context and are not infallible. Did Dort play better than Harden? I ask because Dort +/- was 0, Harden's was +9...so who had the better game? I'm not saying that Harden had a bad series, I'm sayin his +9 was more about how the team carried him. If they were missing shots and playing bad defense he would not have a +9. +/- depends on the other 4 guys.
Okay so we woudlndt have won with Harden's 9 assists that game? Those guys didnt "carry" Harden he set all of those guys up for sucess....even Westbrook. Not to dimiish their play. Tucker, Gordon and Covington were amazing.....Westbrook was ok. Really? It would have been his fault that every time he sat on the bench the team dies? Like that didnt change when Westbrook came back either.
Anyone who is still hating on Harden, the second best to ever wear a Rockets uni, should probably log off for three years. There is no way we will find someone better in the near future, and perhaps not even the distant future. Harden haters have been spoiled into thinking this type of success is normal. Ask the Knicks how normal it is.
It’s much easier to acquire a Clint Capela than a Robert Covington in today’s NBA. If Capela would ever have learned how to shoot and space the floor, the Rockets never make that trade. Any power forward or center in today’s NBA has to be able to space the floor, or they simply aren’t that valuable. That said, I completely agree with you about the Thunder series. If the Rockets did the little things right and not let their defensive intensity waver in game 4, they should won in five games, max, but it likely is a sweep.
Who is the last Knick to be at Harden's level? Maybe Ewing? Probably not Frazier? Anyone? This guy is better than entire franchise histories' worth of stars. He is one of the 25-30 best players to ever play the game. He is probably better than anyone to be in a Blazers uni, a Kings uni, a Knicks uni, etc... How spoiled do you have to be to hate on him while he is committed to your team?
I've given you the context though. Dort was left WIDE OPEN from 3. Harden was the focus of 5 other guys on the court constantly. Did he play up to his standards no, is he allowed to have a bad game....yea he is. That series should not have gone to 7. It would not have been Harden's fault if we lost. There is your context. Dude, I understand that man...I do. If Harden isnt shooting well, he's not a liability on the court, he's still great offensively and was playing the best defense of his career. Like.....what do I say here? Because he shot poorly, he brought nothing to the table? We were still winning with him on the court? All of his other numbers fall in line with that? Yea he probably would have been blamed for the loss by people but that doesnt mean they are correct Like the exact reason we went to 7 against them is that the team would die whenever Harden sat.
LOL, people are still posting the same **** again and again every year after another laughable season ending again and again? No matter how many new excuses you are going to find, the result is still the same.
You're still not answering the question. Who had a better game 7? Dort or Harden? Is it possible that Harden's +9 misrepresented his play for that game? Again +/- is also about the performance of the team. People make this mistake with it all the time. Earlier in the year we had people saying Brewer was better than Westbrook because +/-...completely misuing that stat.
I get what you're saying, that he contributes to the team in other ways. I'm saying that the +9 does not represent what happened in that game. He wasn't our best player that night, the other guys stepped up and had they not OKC runs away with it. I'm not saying he had a bad series, I'm just saying that stat did not correctly read his performance. That Dort with his 0 +/- out played him, had a better game, shut him down and outscored him. Whether it was open shots or not, he did it. Anyone can have a good +/- for example, if they are the fifth guy playing on GSW. If you put Hartenstein out there, along with Curry, Durant, Klay, Green...he'd have a good +/- I'm saying for that game the team carried it. It's a shame the team lost their fight in the next series, but that game they did play well together despite a very bleh Harden game. He played good defense, yeah, but no one looks at Tucker and go "Yeah, he really carried the team that night even if he only had 10 points." you're saying that for Harden because we're used to him carrying the team, that night though, I do think he was carried to that victory. It's good he was there in the end, great even.
Now do WB and Steven Adams. Also your numbers are with Harden still trying to play ISO ball and standing stationary when he doesn't have the ball. Also your numbers are when Capela had a heel injury. I'm not sure what your point is with a small sample size considering Capela was hurt most of the time he played. I see nothing wrong with my previous statement since I clearly mentioned Capela's injury.
Dort already won because he is an undrafted rookie and who you have put in the same discussion and sentence as Harden.
Okay, forget about all this what is all this you are trying to tell me man. THat one game plus minus is bad....yea i knew that. I dont evaluate performance by one game of a series. I evaluate it over multiple games. Westbrook was bad...like very VERY bad. He was a worthless second option. Harden is not the problem these playoffs. If you give him an adequate second star, these issues people talk about go out the window. But he was foolish and asked for this dude to come here.....and now we are stuck in mediocrity.
Yeah, I don't mind McGee, he has no issues too with sitting on the bench or coming off the bench. Hopefully, the fact that it is an empty spot makes some younger player want to take a 1 year deal to prove himself.
I think it is problem that series went 7 games personally. I really do. It would have been nice to step on their throats and not have Russ rush back on a hurt quad to play. Not sure how he was worthless during the season either, pretty sure they're like one of the best scoring duos of all time, but I digress. How that equals 'worthless' I'll never know.
McGee is actually really good off the pick and roll and is equal if not better then Clint as a shot blocker. His issue is he commits to many dumb fouls.
I never said James Harden wasn’t responsible for many of the open looks that the other players made. That’s obviously true because of the defensive gravity he commands. However, it is a fact that for three quarters, other Rockets stepped up and made shots when Harden couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean and was being outplayed by Luguentz Dort. His teammates, specifically Gordon, Covington, Green and Westbrook, carried the scoring load for the first three quarters while Harden struggled. Going into the fourth quarter, he had 13 points on 2-13 shooting, six assists and four turnovers. To Harden’s credit, when he checked in around the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter, he saved his best for last, both offensively and defensively. Also, you completely missed my point in regards to game 3 and 4. I never said Harden was the reason they lost (I’m well aware of Harden’s importance to this team and how great he is). I was saying you can’t blame the guy sitting in street clothes (Russell Westbrook) for those losses. Blaming the rest of the Rockets is fine, but Harden was on the floor during the final minute of game three (the mistakes in the final minute weren’t his fault, though) and much of the first half of game 4 (20 out of 24 minutes) when the Rockets had zero defensive intensity and allowed 60 points.
