his first half performance? he jacked up shots and he made them. he's a great young player. its still bad basketball and not sustainable which showed in the end result and overall context of the game.
He looks a half-step slower than Jan. Also he needs to pull up more and hit a jumper than always driving to the hoop. Defenders are beginning to figure out not to try to swat the ball but instead just grab it. He needs to keep defenses a bit more off balance and surprise them. I am sure he will learn.
He does not seem to be right. He is not making threes as well as he was earlier in the year. Several times, the Lakers went under the pick and left him with an uncontested three. He was not making them pay. It could be that he is exhausted. It could be he is banged up.
The problem i find with McHale is that he is giving WAY to much free reign to Harden. For whatever reason, injuries or whatever, he is struggling. For the team he needs to relinquish some control and let Lin/Parsons playmake and create more. We wont get a game against OKC unless the ball moves more freely..
Harden is 23. That's what's wrong. HE's a year younger than Westbrook. Just a young dumb player but he will get better (Just like Westbrook)
He needs to drive and look to score rather than draw a foul He needs to quit dribbling the ball until 3 seconds are left and then pass it. He needs to take fewer of those 3's
too many minutes + no offensive system (ISO-ball) I think I heard Frazier say in a Knick broadcast that as the season goes on, Harden will realize that it's a long way to the hoop. Obviously McHale's ISO-offense doesn't help. I wonder if McHale is thinking about all those 40-minute blowouts Harden played in.
Doesn't he look a lot thicker? I know he wears pads under his uniform but compared to how he looked at the beginning of the season, he looks a lot thicker now. Maybe more or thicker pads? Maybe his injuries caused him to gain some weight? I don't know. But, he just doesn't have that speed or athletism he had at the beginning of the year. I know he's worn out and probably doesn't have the legs to out run or jump anyone but I miss the Harden that was always going downhill and finishing through contact. Relentless. He's settling for the jumper and letting defenses get off the hook from guarding him.
Pretty much, I think he gets too much put on his shoulders. I get letting Harden bring it up the court himself sometimes, but we probably do that too much given the usual result seems to be Harden driving into the lane trying get a foul. You saw that throughout the game when the refs swallowed their whistles how much that amounted too. The team needs to draw up more plays that gets guys like Parsons or Smith involved. You see Lin get some shots at the end of broken plays, and guys getting them in transition but you have to try to get the other players involved in the offense more early on so that Harden's usual moves don't go stale at the end of games.
I dont understand why he's holding ball for like 10 seconds without moving everytime. I just dont get it.
How can you say he had no real help when Parsons had 23 points and scored more actual field goals then Harden did in the game? Lin no doubt had a bad shooting night but, they even said it in the broadcast last night, Harden has been ineffective for the last few weeks. Personally, I think he has been overworked and we are starting to see the effects. The coaches need to stop just telling him to just go out and do whatever and draw up some actual plays that the team can try to run that can catch teams by surprise.
Good stats. What is wrong with Harden is he is playing over 40mpg on average. Worst, he has to handle the ball, distribute and then doing the scoring as well. He is a SG, for christ sake, let him be a SG and allow PG to run the offense.
ISO and bringing up the ball is his problem. ISO when it works is great but using it 80% of the time is just stupid. Defenders will adjust and good coaches will take it away from you. Specially against playoff teams. He needs to sprinkle in other wrinkles to his offensive game. Coming off picks, back door plays. Pick and Roll, Pick and Pop. Going one-on-one at the top of key can only work so many times.