"If you pour gravy on the pudding, the pudding becomes a shepherd's pie." "But, it's just pudding underneath the gravy". "Then perhaps shepherd's pie isn't made with meat, but with pudding".
The fact is without Harden, this game would have been a blow out... So to blame the man is ridicules... Now can his play selection get better? Yes sir it can.. But to blame the man is just stupid and ridicules. T_Man
Harden is already an amazing efficient offensive scorer. He has been shouldering too much of the team's offense by himself, and hopefully he will learn to let his team share some of this offensive load. I think the better question is how much better the Rockets as a team will be next year when Harden diverts part of his energy from Offense/ ISO plays into Defense/ less TOs.
no , now never speak about it again vs Griz Lin/Harden 47 points (12-37 fgs, 32%. 16-20 fts, 7-15 3pt fgs, 46%), 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 12 turnovers, 3 blocks Rest of the team: 31 points (11-37 fgs, 29%. 5-8 fts, 4-17 3pt fgs, 23%), 39 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 8 turnovers,5 blocks
I believe at the beginning of the season the coaches really believe that the Rockets should play around Harden, and most Rockets fans buy into that every other player has to sacrifice their game and learn to play with Harden. That is why you see our PGs and PFs had been learning to play at the corner as a 3pt shooter. However after watching Rockets' games for almost a season a lot of fans don't think it's the best strategy for Rockets anymore. What really matters is that the coaches are beginning to doubt it, which doesn't mean they are able to hold him responsible though. I liked him early in the season but I am very disappointed at his games now. Opponents (and officials) have gradually figured out Harden's game and he hasn't been willing to adjust. Even a player as great as Kobe had been struggling to reach playoffs without PJ to hold them responsible to play as a team.
Actually McHale did advise Harden recently to play off the catch and not let defense focus on him. But Harden's response was he didn't think he needed to change.
Keep telling yourself that. People like you said the same thing in the begining of the season when team faced Spurs... blow out did not happen. Guess who stepped up? Then people like you said the same thing recently when team had to face Clippers with CP3... nope, also did not happen. We even won that game and blew Clippers out. Yeah, Harden is so indispensable... key of the team etc... If I remember correctly Morey predicted we go to playoff even before the Harden trade.
Harden too many minutes down season stretch run Start Beverley, LIN together as guards. Harden off the bench... Lin CREATE, run team better as POINT guard, Beverley defend bigger guard, Harden does not play defense. Harden seeing old team again, will have Harden back in COMFORT area as 6th man who can lift team to FINALS appearance
Should change the title, "Do the Rockets play better as a "team" without Harden?" We only had 3 or so games to find out, but I would say so. In other words, this team doesn't need Harden to carry them the whole game, he can be more effective drawing attention and moving the ball around so he can get a better shot in rythym, or setup teammates without forcing the issue so that they're also in rythym.
Rockets could have used a little less of Harden tonight....his ISOs are just weak IHMO....doesn't mean he can't improve but not there yet like Kobe, Carmello, or Durant.
The Rockets are better with Harden, but they also have an idiot coach named McHale who refuses to give him rest. And as we've seen over the season, a tired Harden can be detrimental to the team. He can't defend, guys drive by him for dunks, his 3 point shots were short, his layups blocked, his every attempt at drawing fouls result in a crumpled heap. So in short: Harden = Good McHale + Harden = Not Good Also, people like to blame Harden for holding the ball too long & relying on ISO play too much. But you know what? Before McHale ran him to the ground, a rested Harden is deadly ISO player (like Carmelo).
