Please let me know how shooting 44.4% out of 16.9 FGs a game, and taking 10 FTs a game is bad again please. I don't know how that is bad. He's scoring 26 a game, and ya ISO ball comes into play, but no one can stop it. You know most of the time Harden doesn't get WHAT HE WANTS is when a weak pick was set, or a pick was "jumped" (when it is jumped usually he ends up out of a double and someone is getting a wide open shot, but sometimes he turns it over) I just don't know HOW HOW HOW PEOPLE like you are blasting JAMES HARDEN! I guess you don't understand that last night's game was not the Clippers best (they have flaws, and are beatable). If you were the one that brought up MEM. I agree we don't match up with them, but Clippers, and OKC we can ball with, and we prob. will be playing with in the playoffs. So here's the offer if the Rockets, and that "Horrible player James Harden" win anything over 3 games (yes just 3 games) you get to donate to the tip jar, and if we don't, then James Harden gets to go donate to the single mamas.
The Haters need to read this thread: The Last 10 Games Any objective fan without an agenda or a personal bone to pick knows that Kevin McHale has done a Coach of the Year job with the team this season. - They are the youngest team in the NBA. - They are the least experienced team in the NBA. - They have had the highest turnover / least stability of any team in the NBA. - They have only 2 players from last season still on the roster from last season. - Almost all of the experts thought they would be challenging for the worst record in the league, not a play-off spot. - No team this young and with this lack of experience has ever done this good Etc.... etc.. etc... The Rockets have had an amazing year up to this point but with a better than expected season comes adjusted expectations. With only 10 games left to go the Rockets have a 3 game lead in the loss column to both Utah and LAL (the 8th and 9th seed teams). With the Rockets owning the season series against the Jazz, they are essentially 4 games up on them in the loss column and at least two teams would have to overtake Houston to keep McHale and Company out of the play-offs. If Houston can just go 7 and 3 in the last 10 games there is nothing that can keep them out of the play-offs and their record would be 46 wins and 36 losses. The scary part of this scenario is that James Harden and Omer Asik who are probably the two most important players on the team are coming off back to back games where they have been the biggest reasons for the Rockets loss. Omer was just destroyed by both Hibbert and Gasol and it was not even close. James Harden who has typically been the best player on the court when the Rockets have played this season was completely out played by Lance Stephenson and Tony Allen. I'll even go out on a limb and say that it was Hardens play in the 3rd quarter of the Memphis game that contributed most to the starters being pulled for the remainder of the game. Against the Grizzlies, James looked to just wave the white flag and he quit making any effort at all to get back on defense by just walking back down the court and not making any sort of positive contributions on offense either. When Omer and James play the way they have played the last two games the Rockets are scary bad. It's up to McHale to do what ever it takes to get Omer, James and the rest of the Rockets up for the last 10 games. If we get into the play-offs then all the good things that can be said about the Rockets will have been well earned. The youngest team in the modern NBA to ever achieve this amount of success in what is a monster conference to have success in. Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year candidates as well as Most Improved Player and Most Valuable Player candidates will all be well deserved. But if Kevin McHale can not pull this team up for the final stretch run of 10 games then all the accomplishments and all of the good feelings will mean little for this season. Instead of everyone looking at what a shockingly great job this very young and unexperienced team has done, if the Rockets miss the play-offs, they will only be seen as a team that chocked away what should have been a sure play-off spot in the final 10 games of the season. These last 10 games are the defining games of the season. The last 10 games break down like this: Houston Rockets 39 wins 33 losses - 7th seed Utah Jazz 37 wins 36 losses - 8th seed - Rockets own tie breaker Los Angeles Lakers 37 wins 36 losses - 9th seed - Tie breaker not decided Dallas Mavericks 35 wins 37 losses - 10th seed - Mavs own tie breaker Games Left: Los Angeles Clippers @ home - underdog Orlando Magic @ home - favored Sacramento Kings road - favored Portland Trailblazers road - underdog Denver Nuggets road - underdog Phoenix Suns @ home - favored Memphis Grizzlies @ home - underdog Sacramento Kings @ home - favored Phoenix Suns road - favored Los Angeles Lakers road - underdog I offer no predictions on how the last 10 games will be played out but that is how I think the odds makers will see us in the last 10 games. We have not been a good road team so even though we have a better record than Portland, I think the Blazers will be favored. The Grizzlies have not beaten the Rockets in Houston in a very long time but with the way the Rockets just played against the Grizzlies I have a hard time believing the odds makers will not make them the favorites. Obviously I'm hoping for a 10 game win streak but as that has not happened all year and the Rockets are entering a very tough stretch of games to close the season out on. I'm just hopping they play well enough to get into the play-offs with out having to rely on the help of other teams. This last 10 games will determine how good Kevin McHale has done as a coach this season (not the vocal, obnoxious minority with a vendetta against him). The last 10 games will decide if James Harden is a legitimate superstar and a legitimate MVP candidate. The last 10 games will decide if the Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik signings in the summer were really as good as they have appeared most of the season. The last 10 games will decide what kind of progress Chandler Parsons has made, if Daryl Morey's confidence in Danotas Motiejunas was well placed and if all the roster shuffling was Genius or just endless meddling by a GM. The first 72 games set the table but the last 10 games will decide what it all means.
Some people here on this poster are just ridiculous. Harden has been a great ray of sunlight for this team and the Rockets wouldn't be where they at today if it wasn't for Harden. I said this plenty of times but apparently many of you just don't listen or remember. Harden is forced to carry the offensive load throughout the entire season. His style of play is physical, which takes a big toll on his body. People here can't expect Harden to carry the offensive load and then having to play hard defense all night long. Harden is averaging 38-40 minutes a game. If you guys want him to play hard defense, then you can expect his offense will dip. You can't expect a guy who's carrying the offensive load alone and then having to bust their tails defensively 40 minutes a night. That's ridiculous. When Harden was in OKC, his defense was much better than it is today. Because he didn't have to focus all his energy on offense so he can use his energy on other aspects. But with Houston, he knows that the Rockets need his offense so he focus all his energy into carrying the Rockets offensive load. That's why the Rockets offense is elite. If the Rockets have another player who can help take some load off of Harden, then Harden can then focus a little more on defense. But when we are asking him to carry the team both offensively and defensively, that will break him down quick. All year long, teams have been focusing their defense to stop Harden but he's averaging 26 points per game, which is elite. All stars have off games plenty of times. Kevin Durant has off nights plenty of times also. There were times where he can't get to the FT line and struggled all night long. Same goes for Kobe and Melo. Whenever Harden drives, he gets foul the majority of the time and if the officials doesn't make the call, then defenders would get more aggressive until the refs blow the whistle. But anyway, wherever Harden goes, this team follows. All the other star players have help. Teams can't just focus on Durant, Lebron, Kobe, and CP3 alone. They all have Westbrook, Wade, Howard, Griffin, etc to help them while the Rockets only have Harden. The Rockets roster around Harden is pretty solid but he needs another player with elite skills so he can take some pressure off him. Lin has been inconsistent all year long. You don't know what to expect from Lin every night. But with Harden, you can really rely on him to have a big game. Its not easy to average 26 points and dishing out 4-6 assist per game while having the defense focus on you. Its closer to the playoffs and Harden is pretty wore out. He's been having a sore foot that has been bothering him for a long time. Hopefully Morey can find a player who can take the pressure off of Harden's shoulder during the offseason.
I'm not going to lie, Houston has a shi**y fanbase. Harden may have a few bad games but he is nowhere near inconsistent like the players on his team. The Rockets are sitting at 7th seed in a tough conference because of Harden. He is the reason why Houston is even in the playoffs today. The last few years, you guys were complaining about how this team doesn't have a star player. Now that they do have one, you're still complaining. The NBA has 30 teams and only so few stars to go around. Its not like the Rockets can just go out there and grab Durant or Lebron James. Explain to me how Harden BARELY made the all star team? Harden was one of the first players to be chosen to be a reserve. Sure he didn't make the All Star starting lineup but that's a popularity contest. Its no such thing as barely making it to the all star game. Harden just made the game winning shot not too long ago against the best team in the West, and before that, he completely took over against the Thunders. When Harden went against the Heat the last time they play, Harden will the Rockets back into the game, and went head to head with Lebron James. Even Lebron said that Harden was a great player and that he had a difficult time stopping him. Carmelo Anthony has a lot of bad games. CP3 also had games where he isn't even a factor. All NBA stars have bad games. You can't expect a player to have great games all season long. Harden went through a stretch where he was scoring almost 30 a game and no one said a thing but when he had like 2 bad games, then everyone starts complaining about how bad he is. This is exactly why Houston doesn't really have a good fan base. There's no loyalty or anything. You will go through tough times and good times with a team this young. The Rockets are supposed to be in rebuilding mode right now, but because of Harden, they are in the playoffs. Besides Parsons, every one on the team is new and this is their first year together. They are not the Spurs where they had over 10 years of experience together. Its rare that a team is successful in their first year together. The Rockets completely changed the entire roster and this is one of the youngest team in the NBA. You can't expect results immediately after the first season. A great player like Harden will grow with the team. This is the first year that Harden is leading a team himself without much help. So you better be glad that the Rockets have Harden, while other teams like the Suns are still looking for their Harden.
Unnecessary mean spirited put-downs and name calling of forum and team members and coaches make me uncomfortable. Though as fans we want it all, it still boils down to we win some and cry some. No community is perfect, but it's a nicer one when we can do it together. We all apparently love competition, but sometimes we sound unhealthy. Maybe too many beers or something are doing the reckless talking...
wow this thread has become name calling between HOF, HOH, LOF, LOH, MOF, and MOH thread. All I was talking about is that McHale should have figured out this situation earlier in the season instead of asking Harden shouldering all offensive load while playing good defense for so long. You can disagree why McHale shouldn't have sat our starters on Friday and you can argue whatever the points I made. But don't make this a player vs the other player debate. Harden is the best player hands down and nobody is saying otherwise.
whats wrong with the garm today? i dont see nothing wrong with garm today...this is a great place to have a conversation....:grin:
I thought two games ago you tried several times to blame the loss solely on Lin. Does you account have two owners? Or do you think Lin is not a Rocket?
