Exactly. Another last-minute win by a point or two and we're in the finals. Doesn't have to be pretty, and it definitely won't be easy.
Harden as a post up on the elbow is impossible to guard. He can either bully anyone in there with a turnaround jump shot or use his passing skills as a playmaker to find a roller off the ball. We used this earlier in the season but for some reason it we have gone away from it for some mystifying reason.
Post up is a type of paint shot, that is ok and not discouraged by the Houston offense at all. Even Cp3 takes mid range shots here and there, they only hate the contested mid range shot that Wedtbrick and Meelo always take.
I don't expect him to have many mid range shots. But he should at least attack the basket or look for a kick out if his step back threes are not falling.
Great idea from one of the winningest Rockets in history!! One game away from the NBA Finals but let's change what we have been doing to get to this point. That is a great idea from one of the smartest Rockets of all-time. The next interview is with Kelvin Cato! His interview is about how Ryan Anderson needs to live up to his big contract. Why stop there....Steve Francis can talk about how Harden needs to get other people more involved. Two Sandwiches can talk about how Nene is out of shape.
My guess is it actually takes a lot of energy to get Harden down low enough and seal his man for a pass. It needs to be set up properly and they haven't run that in a while. somehow our offence have been stripped to the barebone as the playoffs went on.
3's and layups aren't the problem. The problem is Harden doesn't swing the ball. The problem with Harden's step-back three is that he's not operating off the pick. That's an extra sliver of daylight he's not getting on his step-back and pull-up. The problem with the layup is it's the playoffs and the officials simply aren't going to give him the whistle like they did in the regular season. The problem with Harden's game in the playoffs, as has been the case every playoffs, is the ball dies when it goes to him. That gives a great defense an opportunity to set up, defend everybody, make the switches and operate with maximum effectiveness against a one-man iso. The only, only man that can succeed under these conditions is LeBron James. Because LeBron is a 6'9" 260 lb locomotive with a supercharger, nitros, and twin turbos. LeBron can still crush it under these circumstances because he doesn't have to get the whistle. He'll just go to the hole and finish over everybody. Harden can't. He's got to have the benefit of all the whistles he gets during the regular season. And he knows he ain't getting all those calls so he starts hesitating, and then he starts settling for more contested step-backs trying to get cheap points, instead of speeding up the ball by swinging it, cutting, and looping. The only thing that has gotten us this far without collapsing is cp3 being able to operate and break down his defender and get it. Because the defense has to account for Harden it gives Paul the chance to go against one guy. We need one more guy.......to further take pressure off both cp3 and Harden and to leave us with two guys when one goes down with injury. And Harden needs to swing the ball and cut and move against defenses that take away the pick and roll.
To me the threes or layups should 1) not be taken literally 2) mostly be for role players who can’t create their own shots. If you have an offensive player that can do multiple things he shouldn’t be limited.
I don't think James needs to post up or shoot more midrange, I think he just needs to go to the bucket more. Last night he wasn't getting some of the whistles he normally gets driving to the bucket, and some of his layups weren't going down that might usually go down. Doesn't matter--just keep driving and keep pushing it. I think he drove to the hoop too few times in comparison to his three point attempts so they were able to cheat up a little more on him and contest a little better. Just take it to the basket more and you'll get more space, that's it.
Unbelievable. This is the exact same thing that some people here pointed out all along, and got called out as haters
I expect them to attack Gordon to be honest, I would if I were them. The Rox are likely to use him as a slasher, 2nd facilitator.
Harden is a "rhythm player." So whatever he needs to do to get a lather, he should do. Including 2pt step back jumpers in the lane. The way Harden can get to the basket, he could really be devastating if he could get his FLOATER game going. He wont always be able to finish drives with contact, but he can get off that floater any time he wants. If he perfected it, would would be HUGE.
I'm told Cuttino Mobley was in the office Thursday. I didn't see him. He was probably in town for the game and decided to take care of some ID stuff as well.
I hope we go back to game 2 Harden where he was playing off the ball. Let Cap, Gordon, Ariza, etc bring it up. Play decoy until he's ready to explode.
Harden and the whole team need to work on mixing the game up and while I agree Harden needs to swing the ball and get something off of a pick, it's just not going to happen. MDA nor Harden will make that happen. What the Rockets as a whole can do is work on those floaters and mid-range shots that were open tonight after the 3pt barrage and we just couldn't capitalise. You have to get something other than a lay-up or three. We were 11 for 20 from 3, then 14 for 28-30 at some point. Then the legs got tired - partly on MDA - and we just couldn't buy one. Lay-ups were not there with Green playing great defense, allowed in the paint and help defense. So if Harden had put in some floaters and worked his once heralded step back from mid-range, our wings in Ariza, Green and Gordon actually practised those shots and also mid-range jumpers then we could force the defense to contest those which opens up opportunities from three and at the basket. Anyone who think just because we're 3-3 in the WCF that this is nonsense, doesn't watch games and doesn't understand basketball.
