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The key to a championship- Harden's off the ball movement

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Nivos, Apr 8, 2018.

  1. Nivos

    Nivos Member

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    As much as I love Harden, if he doesnt start moving off the ball, the team has a distinct ceiling, and its not a championship.
    It was painfull to watch the play against OKC when he gave Paul the ball in the clutch and just stood there gaizing, letting Westbrook rest on defense, not doing anything to help the team make the right play.
    Ended up with Paul throwing a bad shot at the end of the shot clock.
    Thats when I knew we lost the game, and Im afraid thats how we're gonna lose in the playoffs if it keeps happening.
    Harden is so strong, smart and skillfull, but he lets himself being phisically handled, especially when he's off the ball.
    I just hope someone on the team could show him the film and get on him about that.
    He's our guy, we'll go as far as he goes, but thats needs to change in order for us to get over the hump.
     
  2. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    You mean the coach & cp3??
     
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  3. saleem

    saleem Contributing Member

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    Kobe was a great scorer on his own, but he incorporated off the ball movement/ catch and shoot despite being taller, more athletic/ explosive, than Harden.
     
  4. Nivos

    Nivos Member

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    Im counting on CP.
    Can't see the coach manage to get to him.
     
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  5. tmacfor35

    tmacfor35 Contributing Member

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    I don’t think any fan should take these games serious.

    One thing I’ve noticed, is that the Rockets stopped showing their hand and are coasting for health purposes.

    MDA isn’t making adjustments on purpose. It’s pure pick up ball right now much like preseason.
     
  6. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    You do get back to it when things dun work in the postseason.

    I am sure that the past GS Warriors had problems in a couple of games, and those things were taken serious for the playoffs.
     
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  7. tmacfor35

    tmacfor35 Contributing Member

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    The only thing you take from these games is that CP looks healthy, James shot is coming around and PJ is reliable from the corner.
     
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  8. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    OKC had 15 FG Attempts and 10 more FT attempts more, they shot poorly but had 9 more offense rebounds.

    It would seem, they played with more poise and aggressiveness.

    The loss itself is not important, but how they lost.
     
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  9. 1Deep

    1Deep Member

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    I think both CP & James both get caught watching each other in those iso situations.
    They become fans like the rest of us at times.
    And I believe MDA may coach less movement in certain situations as a way to keep the floor spacing that he likes.
     
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  10. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    the Rockets just finished off one of the greatest seasons in history and dominated the entire universe by intentionally minimizing motion.....

    ...but the key to the playoffs is motion!
     
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  11. Nivos

    Nivos Member

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    You disagree that off the ball movement from Harden would make this team much more dangarous?
    We can be fans and love the team and still expect them to fix obvious flaws.
    Its an easy fix.
    The worst thing we can do is to say we are perfect and don't need to change a thing.
    That attitude will come and bight us in the ass comes playoffs.
    Harden is amazing, one of the best offensive players i've seen.
    But he allwoes himself to get man-hundled due to his luck of movment off the ball.
     
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  12. sufiank

    sufiank Member

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  13. Cashmoney

    Cashmoney Member

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    Yeah, not sure what happened to this part of Harden's game
     
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  14. smoothie

    smoothie Jabari Jungle

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    there are plenty of areas for james and the rockets to improve, but this year our laundry list of flaws happens to be shorter than every other team in the league.
     
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  15. bloodwings19

    bloodwings19 Member

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    OKC is a desperate team and HOU is a team that just needs to start the 1st round. Capela had a mundane game which shows the Rockets aren't playing full blast. The lost is bad because of minutes logged by Harden and CP3, but this loss just makes them prepare for the playoffs. GSW lost 4 straight games, they are the team that should worry- not the Rockets. PG is most important player in the team, GSW don't have 1 now and if Curry gets back, he won't be fully healthy. I'm hoping 1 of Rockets PGs get a night off against Flakers.
     
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  16. LorneMalvo

    LorneMalvo Member

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    Paul isn't the slasher or athlete Harden is, and even still he sets really good screens off the ball.

    D'Antoni's lack of offensive creativity has shown a lot to me this season.

    Take this very seriously, because it is true: Doc Rivers and Alvin Gentry both ran much more dynamic offensive sets on Chris Paul teams than D'Antoni.

    Hell, the Clippers run sets with more movement and deception than Houston this year period, and their players are all far worse.

    Harden doesn't seal men under the hoop, run around screens, read defenses and utilize screens to cut, pop, or fade. He sets poor screens on and off the ball. I mean this is the only side of the game D'Antoni coaches, and he's not even doing it to the full extent.

    Chris Paul playing the Pat Beverley role while Harden is on the court is an absolute joke.
     
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  17. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    Lol harden is outta control cant be managed right

    We should be at 75 wins now right
     
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  18. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    Yeah we should be as agressive as that 73 win warriors team

    Ah wait...
     
  19. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    Its an absolute joke that u pretend to watch the games
     
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  20. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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