I think objectively this is a series of narratives, drama. I think there are some dark horse or high quality matchups elsewhere. Lillard vs Lebron. Clips best D vs Dallas best 3 pt shooting.
Jeff Green is about to be huge in the series. I think we are really undercutting how well he passes and scores when Harden is doubled. I just have this feeling Jeff is about to catch teams slipping when they are all doubling Harden.
Darius Bazley started to do well in the bubble. Gives them an option off the pine. Another protégé of Paul's.
He plays as though he's on a mission too, which is great. He's going to give us some good points, playoff experience. Makes Harden's life a little easier.
Rockets in 6: A giant asterisk here without much certainty on when, if and how much of Russell Westbrook will be available in this series. Non-Harden, non-Westbrook minutes can get rocky for Houston offensively and Harden has had a tendency to wear down over longer playoff runs, so being able to spell him just a little will be vital for Houston both in this series and if they hope to pull off an upset in the second round. I think OKC is too reliant on unproven youth to win the series outright, but without Russ, I’m skeptical Houston can blow them out of the water for a quick win. Harden's 589 step-backs This year, Harden became only the third player to win three consecutive scoring titles since the league added the 3-point line in 1979. The other two: Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant. Harden owes his remarkable three-year run to his patented step-back 3. Dating to 2017-18, when Harden won his first scoring title, he has made an absurd 589 step-back triples, per Second Spectrum. In that same period, no other NBA player has made more than 178. Harden's step-back is this generation's answer to Kareem's skyhook. With Russell Westbrook banged up, it looks to be on full display as the Rockets try to eliminate a very strong Oklahoma City Thunder squad in Round 1. Harden is an unmatchable scoring machine, and while his game is quirky (and, yeah, kind of annoying at times), it's positively unstoppable. He's had his playoff misses, but this time around he's well rested, there's no Warriors juggernaut present and his team has doubled down on his phenomenal abilities. Expect those step-back 3s to be even more frightening than usual. Which player is facing the most pressure? Nadkarni: James Harden A year after a bitter second-round playoff exit, Harden finds himself in a first-round series going head to head with the former teammate who was reportedly a source for a lot of the bitterness—and he’ll have to do so without his MVP running mate. Russell Westbrook’s injury and the lack of homecourt takes some of the intrigue away from Thunder vs. Rockets, but it’s going to be a very fun series. Paul and OKC are playing with house money. Their success exceeded expectations, and the Thunder are one of the NBA’s feel-good stories. Meanwhile, the Rockets have completely remodeled their roster to amplify Harden’s game, mortgaging their future in the process. Harden has to win, not only because of what the franchise has given up, but to prove his front office made the right decisions last summer. And no matter what Harden or Paul will say publicly, this one is definitely going to be personal. Bechtel: James Harden O.K., I know I just downplayed the meatiness of the questions surrounding Houston, but I think this has to be James Harden. All of the talk about how the reset was potentially good for the Rockets because it gave Harden and Russell Westbrook more time to learn to play together is kind of rendered moot if Westbrook doesn’t play. That shifts everything back to Harden’s shoulders. Going out at the hands of the Thunder would have to sting pretty bad. Woo: James Harden I want to avoid unfairly projecting championship pressure onto James Harden, because that’s not really what this is about. But at the same time, he hasn’t been to the Finals since 2012, when he was the (very good) third wheel on the Thunder, and essentially a different player. He’s now 30 years old and has a case as the best player in the league, but at some point I think the discussion starts to mount if he can’t get the Rockets to the Finals in the next few years. Houston enters the playoffs in adverse circumstances, with Mike D’Antoni’s contract up after the season, Russell Westbrook banged up, a challenging first-round series against a physical Oklahoma City team (and Chris Paul) looming and no real home-court advantage in the bubble despite earning the fourth seed in the West. No superstar will have to do more heavy lifting early in the playoffs. Harden is more than capable, and at full strength, the Rockets are a fascinating dark horse. Still, warranted or not, an early exit would end up as a blemish on Harden’s ledger, and it will be on him to get Houston through the first round at minimum. Swinton: James Harden LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will look to have strong displays in the bubble after timid starts, but James Harden may have the most difficult road of the three MVP candidates. The Houston Rockets will be without Russell Westbrook for at least Game 1 of their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder as he deals with a strained right quad. Harden acknowledged that the Rockets will have to adjust for the pace and opportunities that Westbrook brings when he is on the floor. The 2020 playoffs may be Harden’s best chance to win an NBA championship. Without his right-hand contributor for the immediate future, Harden may be facing the most pressure for the Rockets to advance. https://theathletic.com/2000806/202...-by-team-observations-from-inside-the-bubble/ Thunder: It’s mesmerizing to listen to Chris Paul command younger teammates on the court. He’ll snipe at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to pick up a ballhandler full court, or stand in the right spot on offense, or, damn it, come get the ball. The Paul-to-OKC experiment couldn’t have gone better. … I hate the “he could have played tight end” cliches dropped upon bigger, athletic NBA players. So, Luguentz Dort could have been a prolific bouncer at a bar, Roadhouse style; one of those walking, talking, breathing brick walls that take sacks of money out of Brinks trucks and walks them into banks. A UFC fighter? Why not? He could donate his tree trunk legs to Ford if they’re an engine short on a Fusion assembly line. This man is thick. He is 6-3 and 215 pounds, but I watched him body up LeBron and go to war with Dillon Brooks. I hate that he suffered a knee injury. … Dennis Schröder talks SO MUCH **** on the bench. And he does it with this look on his face like, “Yeah, I said it, and I love it.” Rockets: If Kevin Garnett wins as the most intense player in league history before the tip, Russell Westbrook is in the conversation. It is striking the energy and passion he shows as he paces and girates and scowls before the ball goes in the air. He and James Harden play so hard together. Like with Dort, I hate that Russ is hurt. … You can see this on TV, but Harden often guards forwards and centers now that Houston got rid of all tall players. What I am about to say has nothing to do with metrics or numbers — when Harden is interested, he is a sound defender who is strong enough to handle these bigger stars in the post. … Danuel House’s improvement and confidence level really stand out when watching him in person. He fits with the Rockets. … Tyson Chandler also talks **** on the Rockets’ bench. I can hear him crush officials over the ear-splitting music and artificial crowd noise pumped into the arena. Not related but whatev...
More BS narrative based on NOTHING. ‐--------------- Swinton: James Harden LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will look to have strong displays in the bubble after timid starts, but James Harden may have the most difficult road of the three MVP candidates. The Houston Rockets will be without Russell Westbrook for at least Game 1 of their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder as he deals with a strained right quad. Harden acknowledged that the Rockets will have to adjust for the pace and opportunities that Westbrook brings when he is on the floor.
What sort of defensive schemes are you guys anticipating OKC will use against Harden? Full court pressure? Halfcourt trap? Automatic double team? All of the above? I’m fully expecting a borderline ridiculous combination of all of the above. Definitely a “make these other guys beat us” strategy of full display.
Donovan does not like to double or trap. Very stubborn about it actually. Prefers to pack paint. But I'm thinking Harden is going to force him to adjust.
All of the above. Okc is going to be stressed to stay discipline as well. Cp3 knows this team extremely well and he’s going to dive into all types of schemes and weaknesses. I expect a let the other guys beat them strategy first and be adjusted from there, depending on how things go.
lol I don’t like how Some of hardens spots are mirror to graham and heild (two of the worst players on the list lol ) also , that was one of the longest posts I’ve seen in a while haha . I quoted it and thought I had accidentally clicked on 2 or 3 different posts .
