Really upsetting to watch the team act like they have a 40 second shot clock, especially in crunch time. You can't have Beverley pretending to be the #1 option for ten seconds, while Harden watches. Then they pass the ball around, for no apparent reason, and finally try to feed James with the clock almost out. It's like they're forcing some fake ball movement or something. Both of those have happened throughout the season, but more than once just in this 4th quarter. It's inexcusable. They need better communication out there and coming out of timeouts. It's such an obvious disaster waiting to happen and the right player isn't taking control. It's just popcorn time.
That play where Beverley dribbled out the clock and badly missed a 3 was cringe-worthy. I simply do not understand why he just did not give it to the Beard to make the play.
It's the pathetic coaching and lack of a system or plays that gives you easy looks When defenses turn up a notch and prevent Harden from getting the ball, it's all stupid Isos
Bev never looks for the pass when doing the PnR. He just goes for the drive. And if he gets cut off, he dribbles all the way back to the 3pt line and starts his little ISO game with the clock running down.
I want to say Brewer was already out there, IIRC. But really, common sense is just to get it out of Pat's hands. Everyone knows he can't do anything in that situation besides jack up a three. Harden or someone else has to demand the ball and get Pat out of his trance. I'd rather swing it and then let him jack up a three. At least he'll be set then.
That was not all Beverley though, Harden pretty much gave up and quit on that play. Our players always look unprepared when iso Harden does not work. Rarely do they run plays and when they do, they have to be clear from the start.
I think you can get Harden the ball every time, if that's what you want. Unless he's doubled, a strong step out or cut gets him open enough to receive. To me, it feels like he doesn't want the ball in those situations..Maybe he's tired or trying to move the ball, but if that's so, then he needs to be sure they have something else in mind. That's not time to try to be the best teammate you can be. While coaching is an issue, I don't think they're that incompetent. There are others around McHale, so I think there's also an issue with the 5 guys actually playing.
They're trying to run off time. And it's Bev styleto dribble it for 22 secs and then pass it off. He doesn't know how to keep the ball moving by passing it early to someone else.
This always happens when they are trying to get Harden the ball or waiting for Harden to get open. When Harden is just standing there not trying to get open they have to do something. Harden is plan A-Z so when he refuses to come to the ball they have to ad-lib. The bad thing is when the play to get Harden the ball breaks down, or any play breaks down, there are only 4 players on the team trying to make something happen. HARDEN IS STILL STANDING AT THE TOP OF THE KEY DOING NOTHING! This is probably the one thing about Harden's game that boggles the mind. He does absolutely nothing off the ball. No cuts, no picks, no movement, no nothing.
The play was designed for Jes but they were overplaying him like everybody does in the 4th quarter. Had he passed the ball it would've been a turnover similar to the Ariza pass
But does anyone on the team except Brewer every now and again cut or move very often? We are one of the least moving teams in the league. Its incredibly frustrating
i didn't watch much JVG offense but i wonder, was this what it was like? Not much movement and when they take away your #1 scorer everyone freezes up? it's brutal to watch, especially when the game is on the line. lots of good observations in this thread but i say there is one problem at the root of it all. this team cannot run the pick and roll reliably or effectively. this game really contrasted it as the Clippers run it every other play. Your pick and roll should make the defense do one of 3 things: 1) The perimeter defender goes over the screen, thus giving the ball handler a step on him. 2) The perimeter defender goes under the screen, thus giving the ball handler an open shot or a chance to re-set the pick 3) The defenders switch, creating two mismatches We set pick after pick and nothing happens. Harden's man is still in his jersey. It's like our big men are holograms. Lately teams have been trapping/doubling off the pick and the ball handler doesn't seem to be able to get the ball to the open man. If your best player is a wing and you can't run this play, i'm not sure you can win a championship.
That JVG's offenses were "boring" and "stagnant" is a complete misnomer. He actually had a ton of off-the-ball movement, back-picks, etc.... it was primarily a half-court offense that relied on execution and hitting open shots. Of course, when they played stellar defense... he demanded they push the ball up and try and get as much transition points as possible (not easy when their only real athlete at the time was T-mac). The problem was, he had his teams give everything they had on defense... which despite what some people say does affect the energy you have to "execute" on the offensive end. Also, when you have a ball-dominator like T-mac or Harden, the offense will only go as far as their ability to make plays takes you. Teams started doubling T-mac hard on the pick and rolls, which basically took him out of the offense once he passed it out. T-mac never had the post-up game, and by the time they had figured him out in the JVG system, his body started breaking down.
If opposing teams are locking down Harden, then the Rockets need to run enough motion so that defenses lose him in the fray.
This basically is saying just have Harden with the ball at ALL times all 24 seconds of clock, don't even give anyone else a chance to facilitate any offense. Be 100 percent Harden-reliant instead of 90. Which in effect of course just: - Wears Harden down even MORE, he's already LEADING the league in total minutes played - Makes Rockets offense even more predictable - Makes coaching still look uncreative, as though they can't go past "Iso Harden" offense only (the "Mike Brown w/Lebron" coaching method) - Takes development and trust away from other players, can't build any on-court offensive chemistry with them - Makes Harden less adept at adapting to playing WITHOUT the ball to where he can be depended to do it. Not saying Patrick Beverley or anyone else on team is even good enough to run the offense. Just if the Rockets are to run additional sets, they need to actually do til they get it right. (In NON crunch time settings ) Yeah when JVG had Bob Sura, Jon Barry, David Wesley and Mike James all teamed together with T-Mac and Yao, that was some very watchable, good flowing offense.
I know man, especially with the game on the line, it wasn't like houston was up. I mean that was just stupid play, there's no reason he should do that and Harden should watch...
