After this game, Harden is at 35.6mpg. Howard at 32.4mpg. If you use last season as comparison, Harden would be ranked 21st in mpg among all players. Howard would not have even cracked top 50. McHale has rested both players significantly during blowouts. The reason is so they can play big minutes during high leverage situations like this past one, where it's close going into the 4th. Also, the Rockets were basically milking the clock in the last 4 minutes or so. It's not like they were running up and down the whole time. You are right that both players should have their minutes monitored. In low leverage situations they should not play as much, and to McHale's credit they haven't. But taking them out of a competitive game is stupid.
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="3" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/vAS_oFiEPN/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Coming back to H-Town. See you at Toyota Center Thursday.</a></p><p style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A video posted by Houston Rockets (@houstonrockets) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-11-05T04:28:31+00:00">Nov 11, 2014 at 8:28pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
It will be fine. McHale was without Jones and the Rockets just lack depth. Around the deadline I am sure a couple rotation players will be added. Would LOVE to convince Jermaine O'Neal to sign... Literally ideal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The Rockets will be the 1st tm to ever begin a season scoring more than 100 points in every game while holding opponents to fewer than 100.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/529831527866462208">November 5, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Loved it when the rocket commentators were purposely forgetting Chandler's name after Ariza hit the wide open 3 on the break
Makes no sense. Surely if a team opens their campaign scoring more than 100, and holds their opponent to less than 100, then they are a team which fits his criteria??? [ie, they have done it in every game] I take it he means first 5?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a> have hit an NBA record 71 3-pt FG thru 5 games. That bests the old record by 10 (2013-14 GSW & 2009-10 ORL): <a href="http://t.co/CKbwPywpcu">http://t.co/CKbwPywpcu</a></p>— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) <a href="https://twitter.com/bball_ref/status/529833761626943489">November 5, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
