The Harden isolation dribble for 22 seconds step back 3 has GOT TO STOP.

How is it that harden played 5 extra minutes of basketball, and all the sudden the problem is a conditioning issue? so ridiculous.

 

All that dribbling between the legs & dancing he does, holding the ball for 20 seconds before firing up a long range three. Takes threes like Steph Curry, makes 'em like Corey Brewer.

Dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, no one else touches the ball, ... CLANK!

 

Harden is going to spend time learning from Bev, who relies on his defensive tenacity and all out effort just to get paid $5M a year when he's making 6 times that amount by doing what he does on offense? This isn't Kobe we're talking about here. Harden likes his status and has no incentive to improve defensively over his career. He'll be 28 starting next season, 8 years in the league and at this point he's not changing who he is.

 

Yeah this play had me pulling my hair out, **** off Harden

 

Exactly. It's not Harden's fault that his teammates just stand still for 20 seconds.

 

You're telling me it's not a applicable trait for a full time pg to have great conditioning to run up and down the floor and still be productive in late game situations?

 

We laughed at Westbrook for this and now Harden is doing this

 

I wouldn't say it's a conditioning issue. But when you play post defense it's way more taxing than what his typical workload would be. Running up and down doesn't make pro athletes tired. Explosive plays and physicality do. More post D duties = significantly more work = exhaustion. He's not accustomed to playing that much post defense.

 

I have grown to hate the step back 3.

 

Totally agree with most here, really bizarre how his play changed at the end of the 4th and in OT. I thought we were playing really good basketball offensively until maybe the 3 or 4 minute mark in the 4th. By that, we already should have been up by double digits considering how many threes we missed, but most of them were good shots. I can live with good shots not going in, it happens. But then all of Harden's bad habits showed... oh my, was it ugly. I was literally screaming at my TV. Reggie Miller summed it up during one possession when he said, incredulously, "What are they doing?!".

I understand wanting your best player to take the big shots, but that DOES NOT mean holding the ball for 20 seconds in no man's land and then pulling up for a tough contested three, barely grazing the rim. Harden had Mills on him multiple times, why not post him up? Why not play off the ball, use a couple of downscreens and slash to the rim or shot the J? Or at least run some pick and roll, for Christ's sake. But dribbling holes in the ground just doesn't cut it. The ball doesn't move and the players don't move. You're not just making it harder for yourself, you're also making it easier for the defense.

The only thing I hope for is that Harden himself realises his colossal f*ckup and adjusts his play. Otherwise I'd have to seriously doubt is basketball IQ, since knowing your limitations is also part of basketball intelligence.

 

It's very simple...no one has the balls to rip his ass from the players up to the coaching staff. He can yell at his teammates all he want. It's pathetic. Pop would scream and bench his ass in a New York minute. He is playing hero ball and needs to look at tape and then walk to the closest mirror. Wake up. We are wasting opportunities for a championship.

 

He could have easily just put his head down and drive to the basket. If the lane was clogged then he could have pitched it out to the corner for open 3. I don't understand if he was tired why not pass the ball around and try to get an open shot

 

The thing is, Harden's Issues in crunch time are not unique to this game, or this year. There is no way it can be blamed on fatigue. He has been guarding PF's all year too. Harden just chose not to drive.

 

It was frustrating. But the Rockets played into the Spurs trap at the end of the game. We let the air out of the ball with 4 minutes left, stopped playing Rockets basketball, and the Spurs continued to make classic Spurs plays.

That said Leonard is hurt and we have another game on Thursday at home.

 

yeah, time and again you see a team's worst habits come out at the worst moments in the playoffs. things you did all regular season that hurt you. or even things you did all regular season and got away with. but of course not against elite teams in the playoffs.

that's why they talk about building habits. because they are what you will fall back on in big moments. if your habit is dribble out the clock and chuck a 3, that's what you are going to do. if it's not boxing out, that's probably what you will do. so many teams over the years have lost playoff games on their habits. we just did. lots of teams have to taste some of their own blood in the playoffs before they eventually overcome. and we're not even a true contender right now so it's probably better to do it now. let's hope if we do become a true contender that we learn from moments like these and don't just repeat them.

 

its a mental midget mentality

 

No, it is a "TRUST" issue, as he doesn't yet trust his teamates in crunch time.

DD

 

Didn't read the entire thread, but I just want to add a couple of points.

There's literally a possession late in the game or in OT, where harden is beyond the three point line, looking for a screen, and no one comes. He checks the clock and has to jack up a 3. Is that on harden or someone else for not coming to help him?

Also - you need other players to step up. That Eric Gordon 3 at the end was terrible and players have to try to step up. Remember the glory days, who players like Robert Horry, Sam Cassel, Mario Elie, etc. are remember for some big plays. Ryan Anderson hit a big three, but outside of that, who else was hitting the big plays at the end of the game. We need the role players too.

But true that I don't buy the "gassed" comments. Everyone was tired. Being tired doesn't mean you can't run your offense, because you're not going to beat someone one on one when you're really tired.

 

That is appalling

 

He doesn't trust his teammates to take the shot, and he believes his terrible threes are the shot he has to take.

He's a mental midget with trust issues.