Think bought it does it make sense to go strictly dwight post ups every possession late in games..when harden is one of the best closers in the league..and dwight is so good at playing with the ball at times..I'm just not understanding our coaching.. Harden is our closer not dwight. .
If this team had a brain, both would be the closers and embrace pick and roll. Not sure there's any other team in the league that actively ignores it's most effective play.
Matthews is not shutting Harden down. Harden is shutting himself down. He has a history of choking in the playoffs....32% from the field this playoffs and 39% from the field last playoffs.
I don't see enough mention on this board about how draining it must be for harden every game. Playing crazy minutes, and that's before the overtime, being attacked while he's on defense and shouldering our offensive scoring AND playmaking burden.
Harden needs to change his attitude and his game if he wants team success. Now if he wants individual success keep doing what you're doing James.
He definitely looked dead tired toward the end. His defensive intensity was sporadic but it was there at times. He has to do a lot on offense and they had a plan to tire him out. If McHale was smart he would limit his minutes in the first half and use Daniels. You can't win a game with mostly 6 players.
Harden shot atrocious the first 3 games shooting like garbage and did was hot much at all during key moments. Isn't good or fast enough on defense because he doesn't even try and he's not getting the calls on the drive. He's not even a good player much less a superstar right now. I blame coaching. You get a better instructor you got a better performer.
The problem is that often times, Harden just has terrible body language. I'm not accusing him of being lazy or disinterested but the body language he puts out at times sure does make him look that way. Honestly that biggest improvement Harden has to make, he needs to become more of a leader.
1. if he isn't so bad on defense, the other team wouldn't make attacking him on defense a focus. 2. he's done a GREAT job of shouldering our offense so far *sarcasm*
Watch a reply, he was hit on the arm by LMA and was slid under...in saying that Harden has stopped driving to the hole as much this series and has been really tentative out there. To say he gave up is ludicrous...a lesser man would've just walked off the court after all the bad calls that were continuously going against the team.
Harden has come through this playoff series and been a true leader and superstar. Without Harden we would be nowhere. Anyone who says otherwise is a LOF!
I actually sort of agree, When we put the ball in Howars hand Harden seems uninterested. In game 2, at the beginning of the game when we kept going to Howard in the post, Harden also looked uninterested (didn't get to a good position in time, and just arriving late to the offense). I think it is also because of how the refs treat Harden. It reminds me of the Dallas series were it was clear the refs got specific intructions how to call Yao. Harden really does not get calls when he drives even less than any other player on the floor. It looks like the refs were instructed to call fouls as little as possible on Harden.
