Thank you for an incredible MVP deserving season. I hope you can use that Game 5 performance has fuel to your next season. We can't wait to see you in action next year and only getting better. We understand that it isn't possible to have a great game every game. Hell, even at least a decent game every game. We're all allowed a few to slip through the cracks. I hope every fan here would agree that you deserve so much more appreciation than criticism after this season. We still love ya. Flick that wrist and HAIL ROCKETS
Can't say I actually expect a Rocket to read these. Kind of tried to hide a subtle message to fans that we shouldn't be too upset over a couple bad performances after all the truly great ones he has given us this season alone. I'm excited for the dude to enter his prime
People can still be upset. We can support Harden and still be upset and disappointed when he throws up historically bad performances like this.
It was bothering me all season long how Harden didn't bother to get lose from someone who was denying him from the ball. A lot of time this season nothing would happen for half of possession because everyone be waiting for harden to get away from his man, and Harden seemed to never give any effort. I mean it's not that hard - one quick step and you have separation, you get the ball. But Harden just waits and waits and waits for god knows what and doesn't try to get rid of the guy crowding him. It's like he doesn't even want the ball, he doesn't work on defense and then he doesn't work hard enough on offense when without a ball, makes you remember that regular season game/stretch when McHale benched all starters quick into 3rd, that recurred in this game with Harden. Seemed like he didn't want the ball and when finally he had it he turned it over like every single time. I am not hating on him, I just can't understand how this good of a player does things like that. Must be something internally to demotivate him this way, though only thing that would demotivate me in a game like this would be one of my family members taken hostage and demands were for me to be a no show.
Harden had an awful game. He has done it before, and probably will again. But Harden is also the main reason why the Rockets, made the playoffs, and won two playoff series. He had a really sub-standard playoffs last year, and made great improvements over the offseason. The Rockets are incredibly fortunate to have a player as great as James to design our team around. I'm grateful for all he's done, and hope that he'll continue to grow and improve.
Undoubtedly, we are nowhere near the Conference finals without Harden. I don't know what happened with him this game. It seems like he was trying to force the game action too much and, in the process, just wasn't playing smart and taking care of the ball...regardless of whether he was making shots or not. I would say he made about 13 bad decisions there. It's unfortunate he gets this negative record after all he did this season. He doesn't deserve that stigma. That probably pisses me off more than losing the game. The rest of the league seems to hate on Harden and I'm sure the Harden haters loved that he did this. They are probably thumbing their noses at the Rockets right now about how Harden will never lead this team to a championship just because of this one game. I will say Harden seems to have an issue after having a big game like he did. It can mean a letdown is in order the next game. I also think being on the road made it snowball for him. I honestly don't know what happened. It seemed he was trying to force everything as he felt he had to do it all. That was what everyone was saying coming into the game...he had to do what he did the last game in order for us to win. I think it got in his head.
Before last night, I was laughing off that Lil B curse, but maybe Harden was hearing all of that stuff and got him distracted. But to your point, this will be a great learning experience for Harden. Since he has been here, he has improved on every criticism fans have given him.
I think it's overwhelmingly more likely that the Warriors played him extremely well, threw different looks at him, and never let him get comfortable than Lil B sitting somewhere in the arena. The Warriors did a great job of flustering him and that led to him making mistakes that he normally wouldn't make. You could tell he was annoyed with his own play, that one dunk attempt he got fouled on late in the game was an attempt to get himself fired up. Can't fault the dude, he played poorly but he's been carrying us all year. I hope he looks back on this year and realizes how much he has grown as a player, and how he truly had a special year. Once he develops his post game and we get some play makers around him, he'll elevate to even greater heights. We need to lessen his load by letting him play off the ball more often, which also means he has to develop that aspect of his game more. Can't wait for next year.
Try carrying the weight of a franchise for an ENTIRE season and postseason. Conditioning was definitely a factor. Even elite players go through nightmare stretches when they are forced to be primary ball handlers AND facilitators AND scorers. Curry has Klay Thompson. Who does Harden have??? Cut him some slack. A lot of you guys have absolutely NO IDEA of how mentally AND physically demanding Harden's featured role was this year. He gave it his all and it just wasn't enough to get him passed game 5 of the WCF. It's time to get him some real perimeter help.
Anyone who has played sports knows that there are some days you wake up and go play but you feel a little less mentally there or maybe a step slower and just have a bad day of playing basketball. Has anyone taken thermodynamics? These players aren't that perfect container where if something is super hot that it'll stay hot because it has X energy loss per minute or whatever. These guys can't be perfectly measured because there's so many factors. Sometimes something as simple as waking up and feeling a little different can affect his game in a big way
if you really want him to read it then you should print this out, and post it outsdie the strip club, james going see it
True. And people are all like, well he gets paid a kajillion dollars I don't feel sorry for him...but all the money in the world can't stop fatigue, a bad night of sleep, days where you just feel off, not in the mood, or having nagging pains. All of us deal with this, but only a select few have to deal with it under a microscope.
Great player and we are incredibly lucky to have a guy who carried an otherwise sub .500 team to a SW Division title and the WCF in a ridiculously loaded conference. I really believe only Westbrook, Lebron and a healthy Durant (if he still exists) can do what the Beard does when it comes to carrying a team. That said, the lazy passing needs to be addressed. Watching him throw the casual one-handed bounce passes on the break or into the lane only to have the defense grab them and take them back for bucket is probably more painful than watching "Bad Josh" shoots threes on his 3 for 17 nights.
Hes talented for sure. But after last nite, I seriously dont think he should be untouchable. Ppl forget he basically laid down game 6 of the Clippers game too. You can make excuses. But superstar players dont have as effort lapses as James Harden. His demeanor doesn't say superstar to me. Even Tmac put forth more effort than James
