I still think you can assemble a group of career non-defenders and then demand them to play great defense under the threat that their coaches will be fired if they do not play defense. Who's with me?
If Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili can play defense in the back court, anyone can... The real killer defensively is our PF spot at the moment. The end all be all is that we can not win a ring playing Harden at PG. We need another playmaker, and we need Harden to defer more possessions to build chemistry.
Yup offense is the problem... And Manu and Parker are the EXACT analogy I was going to use for Harden and Lawson on the defensive end.
Lawson should start and handle the ball more. Harden should catch the ball in a threatening position more instead of initiating the offense.
Harden himself asked for more help at guard. Its contradictory that Harden's still hogging the ballhandling away from the guard help. Being that Pat Beverley cant guard anyone anymore, having a superior offensive player in Lawson should still be a boost to the team. Durant and Westbrook can coexist, Harden and Lawson should be able to
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You would think that this is some revolutionary groundbreaking concept. I don't understand why this wasn't the plan from the go.
Maybe it wasn't the worst idea. Pepperoni & Terry, why not?! Spoiler Hot air if I ever saw it. Harden to Morey: Get me help at guard Work off the ball, move without the ball, work on his "entire game" Never heard of the site but oh how right they were. With the addition of Ty Lawson, Kevin McHale is not safe. Of course not all is to blame on James. Ty talked about being the missing piece but he's been anything but.
Harden's (and all players) talkie talkie doesn't mean anything. Most of it is just rhetoric. He basically wants to move off the ball in the playoffs when he is triple-teamed on his first dribble. At that point he wants this Russell Westbrook character at the point guard position so he can just throw it up to him and that guy can shoot, dribble, dish, or finish like a hall-of-famer for him. Players ultimately speak by how they play. And Harden's play clearly reflects where he is as a player. Harden's blabber is just blabber. HIS USAGE RATE THIS SEASON WITH LAWSON ON THE TEAM IS HIGHER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN IN HIS CAREER!!!! Just empty rhetoric.
Agree with this. When TJones got benched for Harrell he went out and got 20 points and showed he should be starting. When Lawson got benched he didn't do jack **** and played even more timid than ever.
Are people still blaming Harden for Lawson playing like a scrub? It's beyond pathetic now. Even without Harden on the floor he's been dreadful. You guys sound worse than LOF's, at least Jeremy Lin had several standout performances for us. Didn't always come off but he demanded the ball, played aggressively & pushed the pace.
This is the damning thing. Look, I get it that integrating Harden & Lawson TOGETHER is looking like not an easy process. Could it be done? Sure. But it clearly is not going to be frictionless. However, Lawson RUNNING the 2nd unit with guys like Thornton and Brewer on the wings SHOULD work. That's what Lawson did in Denver under Karl when they won 57 games. The problem as I see it, is that Lawson just plays SO TIMID even when he is running the offense. Contrast that with Thornton who is firing away. And I don't mind his shots because we need them and that is his game. I don't understand why Lawson just isn't "taking command" of the 2nd unit. Not just to pass, but to score. He just can't get himself into a lather and a rhythm. I don't understand it.
Last year we laughed at the Mavs when they traded for a big name PG and it killed their team. Basketball fans could see why it wasn't working for them and the end result was a first round exit. Fast forward 6 months and the Rockets make the same move for a big name PG and what do you know? It hasn't been working. We're making the same excuses Mavs fan did last year. Give it more time, change the system to fit Lawson's strength, switch up lineups... Blah blah blah. Time to stop being blind and just admit the move didn't work. Nothing against the move either, it just didn't work out.
