Source close to Westbrook believe he was made out to be a scapegoat for Houston's playoff meltdown

What's principle and integrity worth these days?

 

Russ and his PR people should of just stuck with the narrative he wanted out of Houston because of Tilman's support for Trump. If he added on top that he wanted to be traded to Washington DC so he can help President Biden and congress fight against racism and achieve more racial equality then he can even portray himself as a cultural hero.

Russ saying he wants to play his style of stat padding basketball, not admitting he played poorly in the playoffs, and saying he is being scapegoated is making himself look worse.

 

The Rockets’ organization needs to stop focusing on pairing Harden with other point guards that need the ball in their hands and aren’t elite spot-up shooters. If he’s playing like he’s capable of, Eric Gordon is a perfect complement for Harden at the SG position.

Instead, the target should be an elite catch and shoot player (ideally a SF or PF) that also defends at a high level. Paul George, Bradley Beal or Khris Middleton would have been perfect.

 

Westbrook was terrible in the playoffs, but the team as a whole was a mess of an experiment that was lucky to squeak through the first round.

 

Curry moving off the ball for Kevin Durant, is not the same thing as James Harden moving off the ball for Westbrook.

Harden gave up touches for Westbrook, we went small for Westbrook. Westbrook had a higher usage than Harden. I dont know what else you wanted Harden to do? Move off ball? Why? How would that have made Westbrook better when it hasnt worked with Paul George.

Him being a pure two makes us a worse team. Taking the ball out of Harden's hands and giving it to Westbrook makes us a worse team.

Im not even sure what the argument here is though? Harden has gotten beat yea, but usually with a worse team than Russ and against better competition. Russ hasnt been playing with trash in OKC. Harden is just better than him. Harden has had more success than him. When Harden has been losing, its usually because his teammates arent doing enough.

Overachieved? They were ranked higher than we were the very first season Durant left. He didnt have trash with him on that OKC squad. Even in 2016-2017.

Dude he shot a 49 TS% in that Utah series. PG shot at 54.5 TS%. That's bad...but not as bad as Westbrook.Westbrook had a good BPM though, I'll give him that. But Westbrook is supposed to get credit for "unlocking" PG why does he get no blame in the playoffs? It doesnt make sense. The fact is, dude is simply not the second best player on a team that wants to win a championship.

 

I like Middleton, but he has one of the worst contracts in the NBA as well. Like Eric Gordon extension bad.

 

YOU are trying to turn Harden into a lesser Klay Thompson not me.

Instead of allowing Harden to be Harden.

If you want Klay just get Klay.

And reap the whirlwind.

 

I think Major said it very well:

 

When he shares the court with WB, yes.

You don't think Klay Thompson would be a better fit next to WB than Harden?

And the results are the results with harden playing his way.

I'm sure the Rockets would have loved to pair a healthy Klay next to Harden. Unfortunately thats not how it worked out.

 

I disagree that's what the best teams do. I think the best teams maximize every player they put out on the court.

I think Harden can be an elite off-ball talent while Russ is a trash off-ball player.

I just wish, throughout the season, the team just...tried it out. They were willing to try out the small ball stuff but never tried to figure out "What can maximize BOTH of our players?"

gettnig Russ into a groove was important. Just hoping he fit into a system that he never had hopes to fit into...wasn't going to work. Yeah, they traded Capela for him, not that I think that's what Russ thought would work, he's played well with bigs, but they still had him off ball when Harden was in the game, spot up...that's a failed play.

They did try more things with him off ball, that's all they really did. Get him slashing to the rim but Russ ain't no finishing slashing wing player, he's a guard, on so many times you can have him do that.

 

You really need to step back into the real world.

Since you only understand hypotheticals - Can Lebron play like Klay if paired with Westbrook just because you deem that to be the best way for them to play?

Your thinking is absurd.

 

really? us fans didn't think he was the reason we lost. It was an average small ball line up lost to a super good big line up. In the end, we didn't do much worse than other teams against the Lakers in the playoffs.

 

Rockets did TRY playing Harden off ball, but it was not as efficient as playing Harden ON ball.

How many different gyrations must you all mentally perform to understand that the Rockets DID change their entire offense and defense to maximize Russell Westbrook?

The system actually worked FOR RUSS. Westbrook had one if not most efficient season playing in the Rockets system especially designed to weaponize him to its fullest. Harden actually struggled but soldiered on and adapted to playing with Russ.

But it was the multitude of unforced turnovers that was Westbrook's and the Rockets undoing in the playoffs, not Harden or his role.

 

Why is it ok for you to think about hypotheticals in regards to Aaron Gordon fitting on a Rockets roster, but I can't think abstractly about how players fit together?

 

People always say "He gave up touches for Russ" as he should, that shouldn't even be listed in the 'sacrifice' part of the argument. The franchise player should, without argument, give up touches to other players on their team.

It might not make Westbrook better but it might make the team better. It's funny to me that Beal says he'll work fine with Russ because, paraphrase, someone can get the quote "I'm a pure 2." Why do you think he's saying that?

Durant moved off ball for Russ. Is Harden too good to do what Durant was open and willing to do whenever asked?

Also, no one even expected that team to make the playoffs, yeah, they overachieved.

Also, Harden should have won that Portland Series, should have won that Spurs series, we were embarrassed those two series. I mean we got smacked when Kawhi was sitting out of the game and Harden looked...it was pathetic. Lots of people lost faith in him after that series. I don't care if he was playing with 4 WNBA players he had to have played better. Just facts.

You're making the same excuses for Harden, when he loses his teammates aren't good enough. All I said was people forget how bad Playoff P played in the playoffs and put it ALL on Westbrook. It's not that people are excusing blame, it's that people are putting it ALL on Westbrook, that he's the reason his team loses.

 

My hypothetical is about a trade to bring that player to the Rockets.

Your hypothetical is to change one player into another.

I fear for you if that distinction escapes you.

 

Durant's game is not based on being ball dominant. He is not Lebron James or James Harden.

And if Harden should have won all those Rockets playoff games, then should Durant be blamed for all the OKC playoff losses and Finals losses too?

C'mon man.

 

Simply put adding Russ to a team that lives and dies by the 3 was maddeningly stupid. And somehow in the playoffs he lost his ability to dribble and pass and became a turnover machine and a total liability - to the point where he was unplayable.

 

I’d ask you to find one instance in NBA history where when asking a player currently on a team about how a newly acquired player will fit with them that the current player said anything but it will work great.

Harden and Westbrook literally just did that 1 year ago. Said all the right things about how it would all work great even though most knew before hand it wouldn’t work at all.... But NOW we ALL know it worked horribly.

I’d wager Beal will be asking out of Washington by the end of next season.