I need someone to explain to me why we don't play a slow grinding pace when Harden rests.

HamJam · Nov 23, 2016

While the season is young, one thing that is clear is that the Rockets take a serious nosedive when Harden sits. Prior to the last game (I haven't checked since then) the offensive rating when Harden is on the court is 115 (which is awesome) and when he sits it is 88 (which is horse****), and the team is plus 11 with him on the court and minus 22 with him off the court.

So, my question is, why is it not an obvious choice to slow down the pace of the game when he is off the court so as to minimize the number of possessions for both teams that occur while he is resting? The more clock you eat, the less possessions that occur, then the less of a negative impact that the lack of Harden will have on the game.

[As an aside, having DMo as a post presence when Harden sat would make such a strategy much more effective...but I digress...]

D'Antoni knows more about basketball than I'll ever imagine knowing, so I am sure there is a good reason that he decides to play Brewer and push the pace when Harden sits rather than to grind the game into a damage control mode -- but unfortunately I'm not smart enough about basketball to know what that reason is. Can someone please enlighten me?

valorita · Nov 23, 2016

Our personnel. Our second unit reies more on system andnoace to create offense.

clos4life · Nov 23, 2016

Brown Lost It · Nov 23, 2016

To slow down you have to have either a strong post presence or a really good/fast iso player with good handles/playmaking, so he can beat his man. It's harder to run plays and execute with the defense set up and not winded. In order to score the Rockets bench relies a lot on transition points.

kjayp · Nov 23, 2016

HamJam said: ↑

While the season is young, one thing that is clear is that the Rockets take a serious nosedive when Harden sits. Prior to the last game (I haven't checked since then) the offensive rating when Harden is on the court is 115 (which is awesome) and when he sits it is 88 (which is horse****), and the team is plus 11 with him on the court and minus 22 with him off the court.

So, my question is, why is it not an obvious choice to slow down the pace of the game when he is off the court so as to minimize the number of possessions for both teams that occur while he is resting? The more clock you eat, the less possessions that occur, then the less of a negative impact that the lack of Harden will have on the game.

[As an aside, having DMo as a post presence when Harden sat would make such a strategy much more effective...but I digress...]

D'Antoni knows more about basketball than I'll ever imagine knowing, so I am sure there is a good reason that he decides to play Brewer and push the pace when Harden sits rather than to grind the game into a damage control mode -- but unfortunately I'm not smart enough about basketball to know what that reason is. Can someone please enlighten me?
Click to expand...

Your point is valid and makes perfect sense.... The only thing I can assume is that without Harden they are trying to get cheap buckets through a fast pace nature rather than setting up in a half court offense with limited options...

That said, the problem I have seen with many coaches (transcending into multiple sports) is that they have it in their head that their system is the key... and they expect the system to produce results - rather than than altering the style of play to suit the personnel at their disposal... Age old question... Do you run a system that is tapered to maximizing the skill sets and abilities of the players you have - or do you run a system and get the players that fit that system.... Short answer: Ego

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I need someone to explain to me why we don't play a slow grinding pace when Harden rests.

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