James Harden TRADED to Rockets

[kbdullah]

Was at the Rockets / Nuggets game yesterday, noticed a couple things.

Lin looks out of place with Harden controlling the ball now.

Harden doesn't blow by people outright - he's dependent on picking up his momentum to get the speed to get by defenders. Also overly reliant on that euro step and flail manuever.

If Asik had just a little more offensive wherewithall he'd be a 15/15 guy. But he misses easy putbacks and turns the ball over on plays that look like surefire buckets.

[R-Star]

Originally Posted by kbdullah

Was at the Rockets / Nuggets game yesterday, noticed a couple things.

Lin looks out of place with Harden controlling the ball now.

Harden doesn't blow by people outright - he's dependent on picking up his momentum to get the speed to get by defenders. Also overly reliant on that euro step and flail manuever.

If Asik had just a little more offensive wherewithall he'd be a 15/15 guy. But he misses easy putbacks and turns the ball over on plays that look like surefire buckets.

Lin does look out of place, but it's not his fault. Harden dominates the ball.

[RollWithEm]

Originally Posted by kbdullah

If Asik had just a little more offensive wherewithall he'd be a 15/15 guy. But he misses easy putbacks and turns the ball over on plays that look like surefire buckets.

This is 100% true. He has absolutely no touch around the basket. He had one particularly easy, open tip-in opportunity that he managed to airball on the opposite side of the rim. Ugly.

[Dee-Zy]

It's normal that Lin and Harden have not gelled yet.

I'd be more concerned if it is still like this in march.

[Luke]

Originally Posted by R-Star

Lin does look out of place, but it's not his fault. Harden dominates the ball.

Why wouldn't the better guard handle the ball more though?

[R-Star]

Originally Posted by Luke

Why wouldn't the better guard handle the ball more though?

Because Lin is the point guard, and once every team in the NBA figures out Hardens a ball hog it will hamper Houstons offense.

I'm sure Harden taking half the teams shots and controlling the ball 75% of the time will get old for the rest of the players in Houston pretty quick.

[Luke]

Originally Posted by R-Star

Because Lin is the point guard, and once every team in the NBA figures out Hardens a ball hog it will hamper Houstons offense.

I'm sure Harden taking half the teams shots and controlling the ball 75% of the time will get old for the rest of the players in Houston pretty quick.

It's not like the Rockets have a ton of offensively gifted guys that need the ball though. If they're going to play well it will probably be because their defensive role players stepped up and their back court scores at least forty a game.

So yeah, obviously Harden ball is going to need to chill out, but as of this second I don't think it's hampered Houston at all. If anything his explosion has made them that much more relevent.

[R-Star]

Originally Posted by Luke

It's not like the Rockets have a ton of offensively gifted guys that need the ball though. If they're going to play well it will probably be because their defensive role players stepped up and their back court scores at least forty a game.

So yeah, obviously Harden ball is going to need to chill out, but as of this second I don't think it's hampered Houston at all. If anything his explosion has made them that much more relevent.

Agreed. But as soon as teams figured out "Hey, double Harden and we win because he tries to take the ball every single play." Houston was screwed. Its not like that first game where he got 12 assists is normal for Harden. You double him and there's a good chance you're getting the ball back on a forced shot or a turnover.

If Lin was included more it would at the very least give defenses another offensive weapon to have to worry about. I don't think he's the superstar every Asian basketball fan claimed him to be in the offseason, but I do think he's a talented offensive player who can create offense for himself and others on the court.

Harden needs to quit trying to stick it to OKC. He's reminding me of when Ricky Davis tried to get that triple double by shooting on his own net for the rebound.

[Luke]

Thing is I don't think Harden is a selfish player. I think he's a talented player that recognizes that the league hasn't properly scouted him as of now and his team's best chance are him going bananas on an unsuspecting defense. In a month that will no longer be the case and I would assume that he will reel it in and allow more of the responsibility to fall on Lin's somehwhat capable shoulders. Hell, it's something Lin should be familiar with, dominating teams because he wasn't properly scouted.

If Harden is shooting 25 times a game by January then that means there's a problem, but I don't think that will be the case. Nothing about James' OKC tenure leads me to believe that he's a Ricky Davis lite player, but we'll see.

[36 Karat]

Originally Posted by R-Star

He's reminding me of when Ricky Davis tried to get that triple double by shooting on his own net for the rebound.

****ing Ricky Davis. Trying to play it off like he earned it.

[R-Star]

Originally Posted by 36 Karat

****ing Ricky Davis. Trying to play it off like he earned it.

Man, look at how normal Deshawn Stevenson looks in that video.


How times have changed.

[R-Star]

Originally Posted by Luke

Thing is I don't think Harden is a selfish player. I think he's a talented player that recognizes that the league hasn't properly scouted him as of now and his team's best chance are him going bananas on an unsuspecting defense. In a month that will no longer be the case and I would assume that he will reel it in and allow more of the responsibility to fall on Lin's somehwhat capable shoulders. Hell, it's something Lin should be familiar with, dominating teams because he wasn't properly scouted.

If Harden is shooting 25 times a game by January then that means there's a problem, but I don't think that will be the case. Nothing about James' OKC tenure leads me to believe that he's a Ricky Davis lite player, but we'll see.

We'll see. I think the drop is shot attempts will be due more to Harden actually realizing he's not Lebron James and he can't score on 2 defenders whenever he feels like it.

Either way, will be interesting to watch. I never expected Harden to come out of the gates as hot as he did, if anything he's making another fun story for the season.

[36 Karat]

Originally Posted by Luke

Thing is I don't think Harden is a selfish player. I think he's a talented player that recognizes that the league hasn't properly scouted him as of now and his team's best chance are him going bananas on an unsuspecting defense. In a month that will no longer be the case and I would assume that he will reel it in and allow more of the responsibility to fall on Lin's somehwhat
capable shoulders.

It cannot be blatantly stated that there are no selfish aspects to Harden's game, after denying OKC's extension (where he'd have been in a position to win, playing a role he was very well settled into) to come to Houston where it was well-understood that he would be their "Numero Uno" guy.

He is talented, otherwise he wouldn't be in the NBA. But it's not like teams "haven't properly scouted him" by now. Teams know his schtick. A freak explosion opening night more reflects (1) hype of the trade, anticipation of Rockets nation and (2) the fact that they were playing the Pistons. The Pistons. And the fact that it was also their first game, so defensively, they weren't exactly what you'd call "settled in".

Originally Posted by Luke

Hell, it's something Lin should be familiar with, dominating teams because he wasn't properly scouted.

Lin and "dominant", "dominance", "dominating", or any other derivative of that word cannot, and should not ever be used in the same sentence. Ever.

[R-Star]

Kevin Martin: 19.3 ppg on 51.2% and 61.9% from behind the arc.

Quietly fitting in to that top tier #3 option like I said he would. Obviously his percentages will go down, but I thought he should get the credit he deserves so far since a lot of people shit on him in this thread.

[Luke]

Originally Posted by 36 Karat

It cannot be blatantly stated that there are no selfish aspects to Harden's game, after denying OKC's extension (where he'd have been in a position to win, playing a role he was very well settled into) to come to Houston where it was well-understood that he would be their "Numero Uno" guy.

He is talented, otherwise he wouldn't be in the NBA. But it's not like teams "haven't properly scouted him" by now. Teams know his schtick. A freak explosion opening night more reflects (1) hype of the trade, anticipation of Rockets nation and (2) the fact that they were playing the Pistons. The Pistons. And the fact that it was also their first game, so defensively, they weren't exactly what you'd call "settled in".



Lin and "dominant", "dominance", "dominating", or any other derivative of that word cannot, and should not ever be used in the same sentence. Ever.

Why would you take 48 million when you can make 80 million elsewhere? That's not being selfish, that's just not being an idiot. This is a business and these are real people. And Harden was traded, it's not like he demanded a way out.

What about his 45 point game right after? He wasn't scouted properly as a number one option and he's benefiting from it.

And I'm the absolute last person on this board that you need to argue about Jeremy Lin, go look at the threads. But he was still dominant for like a week before people figured out how to limit him, that can't be denied. I'm a Lakers' fan, I know.