Another example of you bringing in stats into the equation without context. Everyone on here is talking about the last 2 games. Where's your stats for that?
LOL at "Next man up" vs 4 HOFs. Since 1999 only 5 teams (in 22 years) has represented the West in the Finals. Spurs, Lakers, Mavs, Warriors & OKC. Yes players play a HUGE role but so do organizations. It's funny you bring up Jordan who HATED (& still does) Bulls GM Jerry Krause even as Krause was putting Jordan in positions to succeed by going to get players (Kukoc, Harper, Grant , Pippen, Armstrong, Kerr, etc.....). Krause deserves a lot of credit for building around the GOAT. Krause did his job and Jordan (& Company) did theirs 6 times over. If what Krause did was so easy why hasn't Jordan done it in Charlotte? We haven't gotten it done in 25 years around here. The Rockets crew (MDA, Morey, CP3 & Harden) had a nice run but couldn't beat the Warriors. And you are 1000% right Harden, Morey, Tillman & MDA deserve a share of the blame (CP3 got hurt but what else is new?) But just as you say Morey & MDA wanted out, the simple fact is THE WARRIORS HAD A BETTER TEAM. The Warriors did what they had to do. They swept the West for 5 years. Where were all of the stars of the loaded Western Conference at this time? At the end of the day, it's time for the Rockets to trade Harden (who also wants out) and move on, The Warriors stonewalled the best of the Harden era.
Calvin is just like Ted Cruz, he knows the exact reason while Harden playing like that, he just never have the guts to speak directly in front of the public. Coward.
I haven’t ever advocated that we keep him against his will. When they feel like the right trade comes, by all means let’s get it over with. But the notion that he has done anything but be his usual MVP level self is a dumb one. He’s even made big changes in areas people killed him for in the past. (Less Ball dominance, less dribbling, letting his teammates do more) This team has had zero continuity as far as player availability so far and the 2-4 record has got a lot of people talking nonsense that isn’t reality.
James Harden has never admitted to being hurt. He never will. We saw him with a bloody eye say he’s perfectly fine. We have watched him hobble off the court and reporters have seen him have to have another person but his shoe on only to say he’s not hurt. He’s hurt. If you don’t believe that go give yourself an ankle sprain and go play basketball.
Well everyone would be right about the Dallas game and wrong about last game. Last night +3 for the game +5.1 net rating Team high 114.8 offensive rating meanwhile Net rating of the real culprits of our loss last night Cousins : -5.6 Tate : -21.4 Gordon : -26.1 Brown : -48.4 Indy doubled and trapped Harden a ton. Calvin during the halftime show even defended the notion that Harden was being passive by mentioning that he was taking what the defense was giving him and how the defense played him would dictate if he would continue to find his teammates or look to score more....which he did and our offense dominated like usual as long as he was on the floor. His defense was again nothing special like most of this season. Though the Dallas game was the most egregious. And for reference in the Dallas game he was a team worst -31.2 net rating. We sucked at everything when he was in the game.
A "bloody eye" is something that can look gross but not affect you in any real way so that's a weird thing to keep going back to. That said, if he's merely a liar, that's still his fault. So either you are making bs excuses or Harden is a liar and it's hurting the team. Either way is his fault
I can’t comment because I know not what’s going on behind the scenes and/or in Hardens mind. I can say numbers show the defense is horrendous when Tucker and/or Harden are on the court as evidence by the On / Off stat prior to this last game. Me personally, I think Harden has come to terms that this Rockets team is his best chance this season to get a ring. Rockets would want either Durant or Kyrie in return......goes against the bringing 3 stars together mantra....and why should Houston take it up the behind and help arrange that for another team? Why help create a super team elsewhere? Without heavy compensation? Now Tucker on the other hand may be trying to up his offensive numbers to help trade value.....while sacrificing defense. Bench him!!
Yea and he can be wrong just like every other former sports player dude, that's what im trying to tell you.
Im not upset, Im just calling this place on their stupidity like I always do. Is it a crime to ask you people to be smarter....sigh
Players are the main reason why teams win championship (not the only reason). Kawhi was not a top 5 talent when the Spurs won but he was becoming a top 5 guy, Dirk was a top 5 guy in 2010, Lakers had Kobe and Shaq, OKC had Durant, and the Warriors had their lineup. All considered top 5 guys at some point in their careers who either led their teams to the Finals or won the Finals. Yes coaching and the franchise will help but that only gets you so far. This isn't football, you need top 5 talent to make it to the Finals. You remember the Bulls players because those guys won championships with Jordan, but what if there was no Grant, no Armstrong, no Kerr? So no other role players in the entire league could have helped the Bulls win those championships? That's your position bro? Speaking of better teams, since you are hanging your hat on that point, lets go down that road. Warriors had KD, Curry, and Klay (Draymond is great but not much of a scorer much more of a super role player). That's a pretty good big 3 we both would say right? What about LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. Wouldn't you say that's another pretty good big three? Dirk beat that Heats team being the only "star" player for the Mavericks. Hakeem, Dirk, and Bill Walton are players that led their respective teams to the title when the odds were stacked against them. So lets not see here and act like Harden was in some precarious situation that no other player in NBA history has succeed at.
I’ve always loved Murph. He was a tremendous player, who had a well deserved reputation for resorting to his fists if another player gave him some s***. He gave better than he got despite his size. Calvin was also the perfect sidekick for Bill. I’m a fan of Bull, but I still miss Murph in that role. I hope that quiet remark, said when he thought he was off the air, doesn’t get him in trouble. He always has.
Here is the thing I want you to understand HP3 bro. And this goes for every other optimistic Harden supporter on this board as well. Calvin and Bill are apart of the Rockets organization. They hear A LOT OF STUFF. If they are throwing pot shots at Harden it's because they believe, and probably other members of the Rockets organization do as well that HARDEN IS GONE. Don't think for one second that Bull, Calvin, Kevin, Bill aren't connected with this franchise in more ways than most of you can comprehend. They have deep relationships with the coaches, players, front office people, even probably Tilman. If that's how Bill and Calvin feel and are bold enough to say those things on air with no regard for the backlash they might receive then what does that tell you? Other people in the organization feel the exact same way, Calvin just happened to say it on a hot mic. I know you want Harden to stay here HP3 but he's already gone brother. Our future is not bleak if there is no Harden on this team, our future is very bright (glass half full). We have always been able to acquire top level free agents to this city (we ain't the Bucks or the Pistons bro). It's no point in begging and pleading someone who doesn't want to to be here anymore. Let's embrace change and give Stone and Silas a chance.
Harden right now is playing most similarly to how he did in 16-17 16-17: 29 points and 11 assists a game...18.9 shot attempts a game...6.8 isolations a game so far in 20-21: 29 points and 11 assists a game...18.4 shot attempts a game...7.6 isolations a game in 16-17, he scored under 20 points 13 times...but I guess if he doesn’t score over 20 points in 2021, it’s now quitting the shot attempts are down...the isolations are way down (down by almost half from last season) he’s not taking a million stepback threes after dribbling between his legs for 5 seconds...he’s not calling for an ISO every other play that’s what people wanted, and now that he’s doing those things, it’s an issue as well Do we want “shoot 24-25 times a game and average 35+“ James Harden, or “don’t ball hog so much and let the scrubs eat” James Harden? Which is it?
This dude is being pain MILLIONS to carry his damn team. Im so sick of people defending his attitude.
Worrell and now Calvin are letting harden know how they feel and the rockets own team reporter for ESPN trashed James as well, as has Brian t smith. City is just toxic right now. Hopefully harden playing bad will it make it easier for him to get traded. Enough is enough. Rockets fans were happier with their budinger, scolas, battier and Kevin martins of the world
This is bullshit. So now we are blaming Rockets fans for how Harden is playing and how he is acting??? I thought I had seen it all lol How dare we want our star ball player who gets paid millions and was given everything he wanted come to work to, wait for it... work.
