This season, Harden is playing his lowest minutes per game since coming to Houston (36.8), you'd think his numbers would go down a little bit. Instead, he's averaging career-highs in rebounds (8.0), assists (league-best 11.8), PER (27.8), box plus/minus (10.1), and his scoring has been just as potent (27.7). While his turnovers have been high, his assist-to-turnover ratio is also a career high (2.11).
Yes, I was wrong about Pringles. I wanted JVG or Thibodeau. But I have realized that you need a coach that fits with your star player, and emphasizes his strengths. JVG or Thibodeau trying to force Harden to play defense at the cost of him getting frustrated and his offense suffering would have been like trying to fit a square peg through a round hole. We might not win the championship, but it has been fun to follow this team this season. Les and Morey made the right choice.
MDA biggest adjustment was letting Harden bring the ball up. Remember last year teams would deny him the ball and we would have problems getting him the ball. Now there's no issues because HE is the PG controlling the show. MDA is a very good coach
Forget the socks, if this keeps up, the Rockets will be in Western Conference Finals and Leslie Alexander will be sitting court side fully nude cheering on his team.
D'Antoni win or not in the playoffs already made the Rockets a success in coaching hire. He made the Rockets a happy, confident team. Importantly, we will see free-agents in the future that will come seeing that we are a history making team. Christmas came early for us.
MDA's effect on Harden has been most noticeable but the entire team is obviously more efficient across the board. I would not be surprised to see career years from the first 6. The whole team has bought in but no doubt it all hinges on Harden, where he goes the Rockets go. And no 2nd superstar in sight, never mind a 3rd. So loving it.
I can imagine every time Morey passes Les in the hall, he has to suffer that look that says, "See, big-shot deep stats guy? The owner knows a thing or two."
