I don't want him to learn a new move or a new private dunk celebration, I want Harden to work on the mental side of the game. We got CP3 for the times that Harden isn't on the court, or when he's not shooting great, or generating enough offense to keep the team ahead in these harsh WCF playoff games. I wanna see Harden come out next season like a sharpened assassin, MENTALLY drained each game because he was so creative with his already impressive repertoire of moves. He's maxed out physically. Now he needs to max out his mental fortitude.
just needs to work on his stamina. powerlifting ashanti's big booty this off season should do wonders for his stamina
This is part of the flaw in Daryl's variance approach, imo. I get high risk and variance means high reward potential. But it also means high failure potential. You'll get these streaks of 20 missed threes by Harden. Of 27 missed threes in a row by the team. So when Daryl goes out and says "if we had a little three luck fall our way" (as he apparently did in an interview in another thread here), I get he's just pointing out something that could have happened differently... but he's no fool, he clearly recognizes it was a possible outcome. Especially since opponent quality impacts this. Playing better opponents meaningfully lowers the likely probably of those outburst games. So while as fans we might have been just waiting for that 50 point sequel quarter like they had against Minny - a horrible defensive team - the math said it was extremely extremely unlikely. And while certain 27 missed threes was also and almost impossible likelihood, it was way more likely against GSW than it was against Minny, just as the 50 point quarter was way less likely. In any case... the players kind of are what they are. I know Ariza isn't working on adding that much to his offensive arsenal. I know Tucker works on his three point shot endlessly. So they're just not consistent high offensive players. The question is could Harden be more so. And how? Based on his ability to add stuff to his game every off-season, I'd suspect he also has the ability to work on just being more consistent without adding stuff to his game. But maybe not.
Two things: He'll learn a right hand finish on drives to further freeze the rim protectors and confound ICE defense Better stamina to increase defensive effort while not hurting offense, ala Lebron's workout and recovery regimen. Spoiler Maybe semantics, but I wouldn't consider this something new. In 2015, he's proved he has a midrange game, and he legitimately believes working on his Step-Back 3 was more important to efficiency, which is why I also believe he will work on his right-hand finish. Semantics to me, because would consider it more a strategy change for the team, than something Harden currently doesn't have in his game, that he needs to work on in the summer.
A rip-thru is a foul -- just on the floor vs shooting. It only hurts when Bell clearly grabs his arm, and Fosters pretends he didn't see it.
He needs to increase his offensive repertoire a bit. When he gets cold from 3 he should utilize the midrange/floater game a bit, especially when refs aren't calling fouls on his drives.
I still feel like a consistent "floater" shot would add a lot to his game. It gives him another weapon in the lane that does not involve getting all the way to the basket and having to deal with contact (or not). It can be used in conjunction with the Capela lob threat. The way Harden can get by people on the perimeter, having a floater shot no tied to "contact" could be a huge weapon in the playoffs. And also since it is closer, might be more maintainable when fatigued. Floaters.
When the threes aren’t falling and refs aren’t calling fouls... Harden gets neutralized on offense. He NEEDS to spend the whole summer with Chris Paul and mastering the midrange. CP is so effective at getting a clean look when you need it because that midrange game. If he develops this, and uses it as a backup option to his usual arsenal, he will be unstoppable.
For some reason this thread reminds me of this song: We'll be fighting in the streets With our children at our feet And the morals that they worship will be gone The men who spurred us on Sit in judgment of all wrong They decide and the shotgun sings the song I'll tip my hat to the new constitution Take a bow for the new revolution Smile and grin at the change all around Pick up my guitar and play Just like yesterday Then I'll get on my knees and pray We don't get fooled again The change it had to come We knew it all along We were liberated from the fold that's all The world looks just the same And history ain't blamed Cause the banners, they are flown in the last war I'll tip my hat to the new constitution Take a bow for the new revolution Smile and grin at the change all around Pick up my guitar and play Just… I'll tip my hat to the new constitution Take a bow for the new revolution Smile and grin at the change all around Pick up my guitar and play Just like yesterday Then I'll get on my knees and pray We don't get fooled again No, no! We don't get fooled again I'll move myself and my family aside If we happen to be left half alive Get all my papers and smile at the sky Though I know that the hypnotized never lie Do ya? There's nothing in the street Looks any different to me And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye The parting on the left Is now parting on the right And the beards have all grown longer overnight I'll tip my hat to the new constitution Take a bow for the new revolution Smile and grin at the change all around Pick up my guitar and play Just like yesterday Then I'll get on my knees and pray We don't get fooled again Don't want to get fooled again No, no! Meet the new Harden Same as the old Harden
You know we could have won Game 7 on 23% shooting, 10-44, WITHOUT Paul. Allowing for 23% shooting seems like a flaw, but it wouldn't have been, because we fockassed heavily on defense against the Warriors this year. But, I'm mainly responding because I think this is an old comment of Morey, that you keep bringing up. It indeed is a repeating topic of yours to question variance. In my opinion based on Morey's history of comments and moves, I believe Morey only meant the "variance approach" when talking about the 2016-17 season, when we had zero chance of beating GSW and SAS without variance in action. Indeed, he used phrases like "doubling down", meaning foresaking defensive roster moves for that year, and hiring MDA. But he did hire Bzdelic, and did try to get defensive players like Bazemore and Horford, so he recognized the need. I do not believe Morey considers whatsoever that we must be on the good side of variance to win. Indeed, look at our shooting in our Wins vs GSW and Utah. Last summer, his moves focused on adding defense as the key. So, I think continued high 3pt rate is less about a way to steal wins under variance, than just a "take what the defense gives you" in a spacing strategy of opening lanes for Paul and Harden to drive. Bottomline: We won Game 3 and 4 on 31% and 30% shooting, and could have won Game 7 without Paul on 23%. Defense and Bzdelic is the Rockets now, moreso than needing to make 15 3s to win...that's so last year.
hopefully alot more off ball coming off screens hitting jump shots.. with lebron running some point for James to get open..
Harden at the Elbow, he doesn't expend energy bring the ball up. Harden catches the ball to face up or run split action around him.
His high variance approach is based on the fact that we are a worse team than the warriors. Variance is good for the underdog, if you know your team is worse, you want to increase variance. If your team is worse but also extremely consistent, you'll lose every game. So I don't think it's fair to call it a flaw when the premise is that we are a worse team that is trying to beat a better team. It's not like he would favor a high variance approach if he thought we were the better team.
Same reason if it came down to it, we would have preferred only having to play them one time in the playoffs--- w/ healthy CP3.. (albeit,..not our game1 result) While we were 5-2 with CP3 and Harden vs GS... . it would be incorrect to extrapolate it 100 times and expect to 71 wins against them. GS are the champs for a reason.
