its not just about scoring. how about you score 200 and your opponent get 201, you still lose. its to outscore the opposite team and that calls for the combination of offense and defense. If you hold your opponent down to 70 points, but you make only 69, it is the offense to address. Now you scored 120 and still managed to lose, then it is a problem of defense. i don't buy the cliche that they just hit some tough lucky shots. it's been happening to us like perennially and someone still attribute it to bad luck? Like someone said in this thread that defense is more reliable because everyone may have some off nights and defense never disappoint you.
Coaching because in the endgame, you could sub out for defense and offense. He failed to try Asik on Dirk and Brewer on Ellis. I thought they valued defense; coaches should show the players by playing his best defensive players.
You know what strikes me about Harden? It's that he doesn't have that explosive type of muscle; the type that McGrady had and the type that Howard had or has (he's not as explosive as he once was). I think that some of our problem is that our guys lack that quick explosiveness that guys like Terrence Jones have. Jones is probably a solid defender because he can jump twice in quick succession to contest a shot due to his length and that explosive type of muscle. It makes guys like him look great on D, because they can make more moves to contest a shot than a guy like Harden can, or Lin as well for that matter. Our perimeter guys just aren't built that way, but I don't think that it's for a lack of trying. Guys like Bowen and Battier managed to be great anyway, but you don't find many guys with that kind of defensive acumen. Maybe a part of it is a lack of effort, but I think that it boils down to some of our guys not having that type of athleticism and explosiveness. Harden is certainly shifty on offense, but it's different when you have to react to other guys as opposed to when other guys have to react to you. That's my take on it anyway. Coaching could probably help negate that if you emphasize it enough, but I don't think that McHale and company frankly even have a plan when it comes to defense.
Maybe he shouldn't play Harden for the full second half of a b2b? Coaches made the choice; they chose offense over defense, and it's not on Harden!
^To echo that, I hated on Harden for his defense but he isn't truly to blame. He needs a coach to manage his minutes and emphasize defensive schemes, spots to be, fundamentals, etc. When your coach says that it is just up to the players and their effort...well yeah sometimes Harden doesn't give effort but who is the one who has to hold him accountable? And if he gets tired by playing 40+ minutes in a back to back who is responsible for that? The coaching staff
I mean lets be honest, this is vintage McHale, the team rarely ever has been shown to have a defensive philosophy outside letting the Center handle 80% of the team defense or spots where one player or so shows up every couple of games. At this rate we are probably going to end up like the Denver Nuggets back when Melo and AI were playing together, a lot of steals and blocks but actual team defense not so much.
Both, but the coaching is fixable. We're stuck with Harden's D, he is the star and isn't gonna get benched. Plenty of stars have played lackluster defense. His offense is far too valuable to not be on the floor. But the defensive shortcoming go way beyond just Harden, as was evidenced by the Philly game. This team is better on D without him, but still bad. This I blame on coaching. Even with a bad defensive player like Harden, we should still be capable of solid D. Barring disaster, McHale should be given the full year, but if by years end this team isn't competitive on D it's probably time for a change.
early in the 4th I would have gave TT a shot, Dirk needed someone in his face, Sometimes as a coach you just have to make an adjustment to see if it will work. If it doesn’t work then go away from it. The defense had to switch many times and bev ended up on dirk 3 plays in the 4th. That cannot happen
Harden's career is at a decision point. He will either learn to lead with defensive effort and become truly great or continue with the his lack of defense and be just another really good offensive player... with no championships.
Its a mixture of things. First- lets be honest... other than Howard, Asik, & Brewer, the Rockets management has put together a team FULL of offensive players. Secondly - Coaching or not, the Players have given a S$%^y effort this year on the defensive end. Effort means something, and I just dont see that this team really truly cares about getting stops. Lastly- The coaching schemes at the end of games especially on the defensive end has been putrid. Execution plays a part. There is a chance that the coaches are telling the players what to do, but the players are saying screw it and doing their own thing, but I doubt that's the case entirely. The three games that have summed up the Rockets defense this year are the Lakers game, the Clippers game, the Toronto game (which they deserved to lose), and the Dallas game. We are talking about jump shooting teams, that are allowed their best shooters in crunch time to get WIDE open jump shots to win games. This coming from a team that has the best rim protector in the league. Basketball 101 is to run shooters off and make them make a play to the hoop, and that's with or without the best rim protector in the league. There is no excuse for teams to allow Steve Blake, JJ Reddick, and Dirk Nowitzki wide open shots to ice games. So the problems are personnel on the perimeter & wings especially, coaching, and execution. So basically.... EVERYONE is to blame.
harden should never be on the other teams best perimeter player like he was to begin the game. Ellis got on a roll and scored 22 in the first half as a result, harden should have been on calderon and bev on ellis OR parsons on ellis and harden on marion
When Bev, your alleged best defender plays the play the same way as the other 2 alleged defensively incompetent guards, then there Big issues at hand. Parsons was on Calderon lol. 2 years ago Parson would turn Duran into a chucker. I thought we had already beaten the Mavs this season. =/
1. McHale - He has no guts to stand up to Haren and let him no that he needs to play some D. Poor defensive principles. 2. Haren - He has no respect for the coaching or instructions and clearly does what he wants because he knows there will be no repercussions. What hurts is that Haren can actually play D if he wants to. He is not physically limited like say a KMart
I'm talking about Sampson being honest and a stand up guy since being with the Rox. I didn't follow Sampson while he was a college coach. I appreciate his honesty and I feel he tells it like it is when it comes to the lack of effort and care exhibited on defense. Sampson can only do so much because he's an assistant coach. Sampson can't plant asses on the bench if they don't give a better effort, that's my main point. There are coaching deficiencies on the team no doubt, and the weakest link with the coaching staff is the head coach unfortunately. These players, especially Harden's no D ass, need to be held more accountable.
