[Non ESPN]Harden has his flaws because of this system

"Usually not wide open shots". Ok, let's see.

During the 2018 playoffs, Rockets 3 pt shots:

0-2 feet (Very Tight) - 0.4 shots/game - 0% 3fg%

2-4 feet (tight) - 7.8 shots/game - 29.3% 3fg%
In comparison GSW - 7.6 shots/game - 30.2%

4-6 feet (Open) - 15.1 shots/game - 33.2%
GSW - 10.4 shots/game - 35.6%

6+ feet ( wide open) - 15.7 shots/game - 39%
GSW - 12.1 shots/game - 38.8%

Based on actual numbers, I'd have to say that your statement wasn't correct. In fact, I'd say that its wildly inaccurate.

One of the best skills of the Rockets is generating open 3s. That's something that they do better than GSW. It's how you can compete with a better shooting team from behind the arc. There's a very good article that was published around midseason that discusses the fact that Houston had closed the gap on GSW because they had the ability to generate so many open 3s. It does a good job of discussing how GSW roster changes and their current makeup have prevented them from generating more open 3s. I'll try to find it an post it.

EDIT:



The free throw line step back that you mentioned was a tightly guarded shot. That's not a high percentage shot and it only counts 2 pts.

If you're curious as to these same numbers vs GSW only, they are pretty much the same.

We generated a ton of open to wide open 3s vs GSW, we just didn't hit them.

 

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you do know that Adelman's teams were never good enough to reach the WC Finals, no?
.

if ur gonna reach, why not reach for Rudy T's teams, who won 2 rings
when Jordan took 2 years off to play minor league baseball​

Harden is MVP-caliber; D'Antoni is the perfect coach for him and vice versa.
Most probably, Rox will sign CP3, meaning that they'll be in the mix---vying for the WC Championship---again next year

 

I see what you are incorrectly interpreting as the need for more midrange shots, yes. I see it and it's wrong.

 

This I agree with he was deadly in that midrange in 14. No reason why he stopped.

 

The system doesn't work in the playoffs and also not smart to lead the league in 3 pt attempts if your highest ranked shooter is Ryan Anderson at #51 followed by Paul at #63. So if you no one on the roster is great 3pt shooter it makes sense to mix it up on offense.

 

Given cp3 injuries history, you need a another side kick.

Some ref will not “bail” him out. They clearly are not making calls to the letter of the rules, but to their judgement. Morey should have a database of which ref call what... and so if harden really want to tune his game to this level of details, he can by playing differently based on the refs.

It’s sad that that is the case, but it’s also an edge that they can take advantage of.

 

It worked until cp3 injuries (who does mix it up).

The system doesn’t need to be abandon, just a few more winkles.

Will be very interesting to see where morey goes from here.

 

This 6.5 man rotation playing elite level defense tires out the team is my vote.

 

Jack up 3pts as your team's primary offensive weapon is too unreliable.

Warriors have multiple all-time great shooters that's how they get away with it (and even their shots won't fall on certain nights).

I know a lot of our guys are good shooters if u look at the percentage but they are not Curry or Klay level shooters.

In the big playoff games when the game intensity and defence is on a much higher level, it's too easy to get tired and lose rhythm.

 

ZOOM out a little bit folks. Rockets were one half away from defeating a historically great and going to the finals. You can't say something went wrong and the system should change when so much went right.

 

It's not just because of this system. He is starting to play Defense when he is already 27 or 28......Other players start earlier.

He is starting to cut his Turnovers when he is 28 and they got Chris Paul, why can't you reduce them earlier in your career?

Attacking the basket early on the clock? Why not every game?

 

The game of Basketball changes a tad every season, so don't rest on your laurels (and the laurels are CFinals and not Championship).

 

Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite

 

The problem is when he is the only playmaker... that was the problem for years.. and then it was the problem games 6 & 7... he cannot be the ONLY ballhandler and playmaker on the team. It's too heavy a burden.

 

I blame morey. He could have certainly landed Lebron with a package of upcoming superstar Jeremy Lamb, superstar Kmart, and future superstar pick. But all he was able to get was Harden.

 

Said Tinman to the mighty KingCheetah
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty King
Do you know what I know
A beard, a beard
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him Silver and Gold

 

yep 1 superstar with 1 almost all star 65 wins, 3-2 lead over 2 time defending champ superteam with 2 superstars & 2 allstars

 

The Rockets last night were the victims of tired legs...this Rockets team never had legs to shoot primarily based on D'Antoni's reliance on running his players into the ground. Ariza after the game was hunched over...emotionally crushed but unable to feel his body as he sat down on the bench in pure exhaustion.

D'Antoni throughout his career has failed to curb playing his superstar/starters extended minutes. For every second James was out there during a game when the Rockets final score was NOT in doubt...was a second too many. He has crushed the Rockets emotionally not because they didnt play hard...but its because they werent able to do what the mind was willing to...The Rockets SHOULD have won last night. They played about as poor of a game offensively and were right there. IN the first half, the Rockets were relentless attacking the rim and boy were they successful. Why the fck did they stop that in the second half?? James Harden finished the game 10-16 inside the arc...and an abysmal 2-13 outside it. Is James Harden a bad shooter? NO...How about Eric Gordon? NO...These guys had NO legs. When they needed to dig deeper, they had nothing left. They left everything on that court physically... The three point shot requires your legs more than anything else...and guys were pushing shots. Gordon kept shooting too strong. Harden kept hitting the front of the rim. Ariza had zero arc. Anderson ...well he did Anderson like things...

The approach that the Rockets had in game 6 and 7 is a result of poor game planning and that entirely falls on coaching. Analysts were right...D'Antoni needed to expand his bench instead of playing 6.5 players "playoff minutes."

The system didnt fail the Rockets...it generated 65 plus wins for the Regular season. It was all on the reliance of a 6-7 man rotation for the playoffs that really hurt the Rockets. This was a team that dropped 50...in one quarter(3rd) against the Wolves. There was ZERO reason for what happened last night in the 3rd quarter. When the Rockets invariably got a player injured because of heavy minutes, they werent able to recover because everyone who had already been playing, were playing at their peak...asking more from them just made them all ineffective. It is that we got NOTHING from dead roster positions on our bench.

Finally, the Rockets have a ton of "dead" Roster positions: which were absolutely useless.
- Green was the only miracle (someone on sitting on the couch midseason played valuable postseason minutes)
1. Joe Johnson - Why trade for him if you dont use him in the post season( first round and second round are perfect opportunities to get him going...)
2. Nene - A big that has been a non factor in the postseason for 2 years straight(injured last year/not played this year)
3. Black - A Center in a small forward's body...useless
4. LMaM - D'Antoni was directly responsible for him getting hurt...leaving too long in a game that was ALREADY decided.
5. point guard(Aaron Jackson) - D League player(in the event Paul or Harden got hurt...we had NO one; shouldve kept Bobby Brown)
6. The 20 million dollar bust - Anderson boy did he get his checks...For someone who really is such a nice person...He proper fcked the Rockets this postseason
Those are 7 players, 6 of whom were NON factors throughout much of the post season. How does even happen? - We needed at least 3 of these guys to get us consistent points...They could not.

(inactives - Zhou, Onuaku,)

Starter Burnout:
Paul - gets hurt on a MID range jumper off one leg...smdh
Ariza - scored ZERO points in a close out game...ZERO(with 42 minutes of action). You cant be a starter and not score anything.
Capela - I have really nothing to say bad about him...He really played with great effort especially in the second quarter. Needs to work on FT makes.
Tucker - what he lacks in height he makes up with Heart; I cant believe how well he played as a team defender. Stinks he is getting up there in age.
Harden - wilts under Post season pressure; something about the bright lights that cause Harden to become a recluse...and while he played OK, we needed him to play like the MVP. He didnt.
Gordon - He struggled mightly during the postseason with his shot... He balled out last night, but he was just as bad as Harden from Distance.


D'Antoni...you really need to wake up and reevaluate your coaching...it has been shown to lose effectiveness in the postseason...its now undeniable.
The Rockets generated shots because Harden and Paul created looks...but it doesnt equal getting GREAT and easy shots...something the Rockets lacked throughout this postseason.

 

I have been saying this from day 1, even after CP came , this team now needs a F or PF that is capable of creating his own shot. This new player needs to operate on the wing below the FT line most of the time. Our current playmakers start above the FT line and that is easier to defend. It was a pain to watch Ariza, Tucker, Mbate, Green, Anderson pump fake the 3 and take more than 2 dribbles to the paint. They looked very awkward and could not finish the play. That hurt us big time. G St has 6 guys that can do that at a high level, that is what makes them nearly impossible to beat sometimes.

 

Except the league leaders in midrange shooting (Chris Paul being one of them ) only shoot around 50%. That equates to 33% shooting on 3 point shots. How many of our shooters shoot better than 33% on 3 pointers? How many of our players other than Paul shoot anywhere close to 50% from midrange? What shots would you prefer them to take?


Chris Paul is one of the leagues elite midrange shooters and even he is more efficient from 3 point range.

The Rockets shot 35.8% from the arc this year. That is equivalent to shooting 53.7% from inside the arc. What shots do you propose that we can get at that rate and still shoot 53.7% on ?