Not true though. Its one game. It isn't a stretch of games and the only way for Harden to solidify his MVP campaign is to hold the #2 seed come playoffs.
I'm fine taking the L just to give Harden a break. Dude's been unreal for us this season. Wanna see KJ come out and show us why we traded Canaan and a 2nd rounder for him!
Honestly i dont want Harden to win MVP, I dont want anymore pressure on the Rockets then they already have.
We have been an underdog all season and overacheving in terms of record, defense, and Harden as an elite player. This team isn't in a pressure cooker
I agree to a point. If we get knocked out in the first again i fear we will never get any respect at that point, and it will cement his national narrative that he cant get out of the first as a number one optoin. I dont agree with that narrative but it wont stop the national media from trumpeting it.
Getting knocked out of the first round would be the absolute worst thing that could happen to this team, honestly
My word...First take is sooooo much better with out Steven A, and Skip. All around the board saying he shouldn't have suspended, and that Lebron flopped.
I was just watching that. Holy crap it is a million times more watchable. 3 People giving measured analysis. But these type of shows pander to the lowest common denominator, so Stephen A's shouting and Skip sensationalism probably get better ratings. Looking forward to this game . Kind of a no lose situation, won't get mad about a loss and any positive result is gravy. Maybe we get some nice performances from guys playing loose and freelancing.
I hope not. The Rockets if anything should launch far fewer 3's without Harden since those looks won't be as open. Attack the basket. Brewer, Ariza, Smith, T-Jones, D-Mo, McDaniels, and Bev need to keep driving into the paint. Only Pepperoni and Terry should take the majority of their shots from the outside since they're both 37 and won't be beating anyone off the dribble.
Contradictory, but A for dramatics. You do care about the MVP, just not over wins. I think most fans share that sentiment.
I would hope to see a lot of Prigs in the PnR tonight. He's one of the few guys that has shown the ability to generate offense in the half court. Prigs PnR D-Mo post ups Transition buckets
It would be fantastic for this city which has been starving for MLB, NBA or NFL success... Also, in the west, no team from 1 - 8 will be all that confident of advancing. Any team knocking out any other team should not be a surprise. GSW - OKC Memphis - SAS Houston - LAC Portland - Dallas or any mix up of those teams
Did you watch yesterday? Cari "Laker Nation" Champion said that she's never looked at Howard as a difference maker on any team. All three guys LITERALLY laughed at her and one said, "I think that's bitter beer face over him not staying with your team, Cari." She said nothing in return. (rare for her) Best moment on First Take in a LOOONG time.
Lots of PnR. Don't force the 3's. And press them all over the floor. I'd love to see the Rockets go with a foursome of Bev, Ariza, Brewer, and McDaniels at one point just for kicks. Honestly, this can be a fun game for McHale and the players. It's a likely loss, so they're playing with house money. Use it like a preseason game to try out guys who normally wouldn't get minutes and experiment with different combinations out there.
