There's a pretty simple explanation for Harden's sudden struggles starting the 2nd half of game 5, a total 180 from to 23/8/5 he had in the first half of game 5. He was forced to guard PAU GASOL. He held Kawhi and Gasol to 0-8 shooting in game 5 and again played great D to start the game, but we paid DEARLY. Harden is the engine of our offense. Hopefully both Harden and D'Antoni have realized that it is not worth it to deplete Harden's energy trying to limit a 7-footer. That said, Harden's mentality in this game was inexcusable. It happens. We all know that mental fortitude is not a strength. He's also not as bad as guys like Dwight. The truth is, things are never just the narrative we make them out to be. If Nene doesn't get injured and we win game 5, or if we get a fairly officiated game 3 to take a 2-1 lead, we're never talking about a terrible game 6. Harden is good enough to carry us deep in the playoffs, but as a team we are not good enough to make mistakes or have things go against us against a historically well-coached team like the Spurs. Things to work on for next year: -Harden and D'Antoni need to recognize the damage of harden's turnovers. He actually improved this year because he is taking far more possessions and creating far more points, but he needs to improve a LOT more. He cannot be making blind passes that depend on teammates to be in perfect position and defenders to not jump passing lanes. He needs to always be aggressive to draw defenders and then make the best basketball play. -Trade Anderson. I have no ****ing idea why Anderson can't shoot at home, but it completely negates his offense in half of the games, which makes him a major negative with his subpar defense. Factor in being a below average rebounder, and he just cannot be a starter on a contending team. -Maybe trade Lou too. His game is not suited for a team-oriented system like ours. Perhaps we can find a way to integrate him before the start of the season. Still, his defense is one of the worst on the team, and his rebounding and passing are below average. He probably needs to go. -Develop Williams and Onuaku. We really needed another big in the rotation. Obviously if Onuaku was ready then D'Antoni would've played him. Williams could also be a game changer against physical teams. He could help pack/defend the paint, get rebounds, and provide an athletic spark on offense. Let's not forget how critical Nene was to our offense. Perhaps we close the series out this game instead. We are definitely a high variance team that is going to have a terrible game here and there. I'm sure it hurts for many of you to be embarrassed like this, but it really doesn't matter. The Spurs dealt with far worse in the finals against the Cavs. We need to do what they did. Feel the pain, never forget it, and come back better.
