James Harden impressing the USA Coaching staff with his defense

I am derailing this thread. My apologies. I just want to respond to these two responses and not bring criticism in a separated thread by Clutch based on Harden's defensive improvement. Please don't respond to more posts of mine in this thread.

You have never seen a coach bench a player before to send a message? Who said it would be permanent.

2nd half bench. A Pop specialty.

I went under the assumption that he would continue his normal habits per last year: what else would we base it on? If he becomes a good defender, as he has the ability, the Rockets will turn into a contender.

Playing good D for Team USA, but not giving the same effort for the Rockets is a slap to the face for the organization. However, this is a legitimate possibility of occuring because Thib has a history of making defenders out of lazy people. I believe Morey and Mchale will base opinions on last season and not Team USA play, as it pertains to the above statement.

If he takes his Team USA play to next season: great; excellent. I, as a die-hard Rockets fan, couldn't be happier. That would be the best offseason aquisition. Suddenly, the team perimeter D would be pretty good (Ariza addition).

People get benched in the NBA and college as well as well. A pretty obvious one is Bynum, but it happens. Actually, a coach without a winning reputation can command respect, and illustrate he means business.

 

Problem is in a 82 game season hardens defense will suffer

 

You don't get to pick. If you don't want more responses, you don't post again.

You can bench "a player" to send a message. What you can't do is bench your 1st team All NBA player. This is a players league.

Pop again. I wish people would stop comparing our team to a guy who has spent more years with his team than all the Rockets players and coach combined.

Thib turned him into a good defender in one day? not likely. Maybe it's because he doesn't have to play PG and SG combined for 38 minutes.

 

Sorry, I am not going to continue derailing this thread. My apologies for responding again. Argue with me elsewhere.

 

I could care less what he does in the 82 game season. I just don't want the atrocity that was last year's playoff series against Portland.

 

good to hear.

might be the heavy minutes and offensive burden that hurts his defense.

either way, hopefully he carries this into next season.

 

I would be all for a symbolic benching if warranted. If he's dogging it, then just a 4 minute benching to start one game would probably provide the proper motivation. I remember Arian Foster getting benched for the first quarter against the Raiders a couple of year ago. Of course, the NBA is more an "ego" league than the NFL.

 

I think a good majority of us knows he can play defense. On a team like the Usnational team with so much fire power he doesn't have to score or be the man so he can focus more on D. On the Rockets he has to expend a ton of energy on offense so he is weaker on D. But he needs to step up and just even give half effort and not be completely lazy.

 

Of course James Harden can play defense. He has the necessary tools to do so. What bothered a lot of posters here is "Where was the effort?" This is a guy who is literally the best at his position and yet no name players were lighting up score boards because he didn't bother to rotate or even get a hand up. He's still young, he's still learning to impact the game when his shots don't fall or calls don't get called. I get it. Harden is one of our cornerstones, and I can't wait until he grows into a complete star wearing Rockets Red.

 

Let's remember people, he's playing for respected coaches like Coach K and Thibs right now, so of course he's going to play defense. Let's see if McHale can get him to play it. I highly doubt it.

 

Not saying I don't believe this story but in USA basketball you only get playing time and a possible spot if you play defense. Once McHale holds Harden accountable on defense is when either Harden starts to play defense or McHale is going to be fired because Harden will still ignore that side of the court.

I honestly think we can win more games this year if everyone steps up on defense this coming season. If we had a more experienced defensive coach we would be much better off unfortunately JVG won't be coming back to help us so Harden needs to lead this team on both ends of the court! ( you could see Howard yell at his teammates all the time last season but it didn't seem to make much of an impact with other players, namely Parsons/Lin/Harden and sometimes Jones )

 

Harden just turning into an average defender is all anyone can really ask for. Hope this translates into this season. It would be a terrible waste of another season, if it doesn't. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

first time

 

good very good

 

Unfourtunately (fourtunately?) James Harden is just about the most underrated player in the league atm. This media driven frenzy about his defence is actually quite incredible.

 

Parsons played the most minutes in the NBA at one point. You have to take that in consideration

 

so you use minutes/fatigue to give Parsons an excuse for not playing D but not Harden?

 

the main problem with new rockets fans here is that they believe harden is the main problem the rockets are fine without harden

true rockets fans who've been here through the mediocre years after yao and tmac know that harden turned the franchise into the right direction.. not parsons and definitely not lin..