24 replies to this topic

[Red94]

New post: The Rockets Daily – February 5, 2014
By: mitchell felker

James Harden: NBA Superstar - With a unique, attacking game, a brief but stellar career on two of the most exciting teams in the league, and hands down the best look since Dr. J's 'fro, it's no surprise James Harden is one of the top young stars in the Association.  And add his growing collection of charming and funny commercials to his already stellar highlight reel and that star in only going to grow.  The latest ad featuring The Beard, by Foot Locker, also stars another iconic look: The Brow.

  

While on-set for this shoot, Harden spoke with ESPN True Hoop's Henry Abbott from the barber's chair.  They covered an array of subjects including his Thunder days, his game, to the recruiting of Dwight Howard this summer.

Quote:

You have this incredible array of ways you score. Jabs, step-backs, Euro-steps, floaters, hesitations ... how does that evolve? Does it come from the offseason? Does it come from watching film? Do you steal from other players? Do you have a personal coach who helps you with that? Is it Rockets staff, do they help you develop it?

All of the above. I do a lot of work in the summertime. I have coaches helping me out with the Rockets. I watch a lot of film and see how defenders are guarding me. Even during the season, every single day I’m constantly working on something in my game. I’m still new to this whole "star player" thing, so I have to be on point at all times. Just me working every single day is going to help me out.

One thing that always concerned me about Harden was that he didn't have an NBA body that stood out.  He's athletic enough and coordinated to the nth degree, but he lacks that defining characteristic: Paul George's length, Russell Westbrook's explosiveness or Dwight's total package.  But one way to counteract that is to have so many weapons at his disposal that he doesn't need all those physical gifts.  Paul Pierce and Andre Miller have had fine careers with that kind of game.

Having the weight of an entire organization on your shoulders like Harden had last year can be a rude awakening for any player, especially one that "grew up" playing under Durant and Westbrook.  A lot of players fold under that kind of pressure, but the Rockets are lucky that they landed one that understands what it takes to be The Guy.  I'm certainly not the first to say, but should Harden continue that every day routine his game should age like a fine wine, freakish athleticism or not.

Just In Time For The Deadline - Omer Asik is getting closer to returning to the Rockets lineup.

Quote:

As the Rockets hit the two-month mark without Omer Asik, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said he has “kind of” been given notice that Asik might be cleared within seven to 10 days. Asik began on court active rehab last week, usually a sign that a player is seven to 10 days from practicing.

That seems about right.  With the deadline just two weeks away, I would venture a guess that he makes it back sooner rather than later.  Omer and his agent, Arn Tellem, have played this perfectly, if not predictably.  I certainly have no inside information that Asik and his agent have been posturing, but anyone who has followed the NBA (or any other league for that matter) can see the telltale signs of an unhappy athlete maneuvering his way out of town.  Asik should make it back just days before the All-Star weekend, with three games in five nights leading up to the break being just enough time to showcase his talent one more time, prove the knee is healthy, and find a ticket out of town.

And that doesn't mean the Rockets have to abide; I'm sure Daryl Morey won't be bullied into anything.  But Asik has made his intentions quite clear between the multiple trade requests, refusing to suit-up for games after being moved out of the starting lineup, and now taking what seems like an extraordinarily long time to recover from a bruise.  This whole situation has been all too disappointing for a guy that plays so selflessly, doing all the dirty work, and until this unhappiest-of-seasons had never missed a day of work in his NBA career.

And maybe I'm all wrong; maybe all those "signs" I'm seeing are just coincidence.  But these next two weeks will tell us all we need to know about Omer Asik.

Selfie level 11 achieved - This guy wins.  Here's to the greatest Facebook photo of all-time.

 

[Rahat Huq]

I would disagree on Harden. I felt the same way before, but I think his defining characteristic is his fat-man strength. He's like a Zach Randolph with shooting guard height. That's why I'd like to see him get some more post up opportunities here and there.

[rocketrick]

New post: The Rockets Daily – February 5, 2014
By: mitchell felker


[/url].  Here's to the greatest Facebook photo of all-time.


 

I vote that was photoshopped. Still, I like it!

Edited by rocketrick, 05 February 2014 - 05:47 PM.

[Texan Ensemble]

Unlike George, Howard, Westbrook or any superstar who holds the title of "the man" for his team...Harden is the only one who does not play or try to play defense on most possessions. You can not win a title with that kind of guy as the guy. Parsons said it best, our offense is best when Harden is out, it flows better because there is much more passing and off the ball movement. Our defense, by the numbers, also improves with Harden out. Would you rather keep Harden, or gain the ability to re-sign Parsons and TJones and still add veteran help as a wing defender or inside big man? I like the combo of Lin, Beverly, Brooks and Cannon/whomever else we bring in, not just for the complimentary skill set you get when you blend those 4 guys, but also for the value versus price tag.

[Mitchell Felker]

*Not photoshopped.  That picture was used in a publication and if you follow the link, you can see the video he filmed. 

[Cooper]

Parsons didnt say the offense is better without harden.

[Texan Ensemble]

I did not say Parsons said that. I said Parsons said the offense flows better due to more passing and movement. But the numbers do say we are a better offense without Harden, not in position to go searching for them, but I know our points per game and 100 possessions is greater without Harden. And our points allowed per game and 100 possessions is also better.

[Mitchell Felker]

I guess in a roundabout way I agree with Rahat without even realizing it by using Pierce and Miller as my examples.  All three guys play with a lot of "butt" and have never had any problems operating out of the post.

 

And I thinnk I may be the only person on the planet that thinks Harden's defensive woes are overblown.  He had a terrible game against an on fire JJ Reddick/Clippers team that got passed around the internet, and has enough mental lapses per game that you can always find a highlight for proof that he can't defend.  But the Rockets have a top-ten defense (according to Hollinger) with Harden playing 38 mpg, and historically you really just need a top-ten defense to win a title.  He'll never win a Defensive Player of the Year, but should he ever zero in his focus (hopefully in the playoffs) he can at least defend his position. 

 

Also, the Pacers and Thunder have full teams of plus-defenders, while the Rockets really only have Dwight and Bev (and I guess you can still count Asik).  It drives me nuts when people prop-up Roy HIbbert so much.  He's a terrible matchup for the Heat, so he's had high profile success, but he plays behind four other starters that are all excellent defenders.  The difference in degree of difficulty between what Howard and Hibbert are both asked to do can't be measured, and his box score stats pale in comparison.  I wonder what the slower-footed Hibbert could do on this Rockets team without all that length funneling teams towards him. 

Edited by Mitchell Felker, 05 February 2014 - 08:24 PM.

[thejohnnygold]

Unlike George, Howard, Westbrook or any superstar who holds the title of "the man" for his team...Harden is the only one who does not play or try to play defense on most possessions. You can not win a title with that kind of guy as the guy. Parsons said it best, our offense is best when Harden is out, it flows better because there is much more passing and off the ball movement. Our defense, by the numbers, also improves with Harden out. Would you rather keep Harden, or gain the ability to re-sign Parsons and TJones and still add veteran help as a wing defender or inside big man? I like the combo of Lin, Beverly, Brooks and Cannon/whomever else we bring in, not just for the complimentary skill set you get when you blend those 4 guys, but also for the value versus price tag.

 

I agree with Felker that Harden's defensive issues are overblown at this point.  I'm not saying I love his defense, but it's not as bad as most seem to think.

 

Texan Ensemble--I don't know what you meant to say, but you definitely said it...right there....in your post....I underlined it.

 

As for your numbers, I just went and checked a handful of sites and can't seem to find anything resembling your claims.  Maybe when you have time you can post those "numbers" with a link to the source for us.  All I could find was data to the contrary.  Lots and lots of data to the contrary.

 

Apparently it's bad form to accuse people of trolling (being of a generation that knows what life is like without the internet this is confusing to me)...so I won't do that....I'll just infer it by typing this sentence...and putting a little winky face right here

 

Oh, and whoever upvoted that post...shame on you     Upvotes are for posts that show insight, are enlightening in some way, or add value to the discussion.  Maybe I'm being a jerk here, and if he can come back and show us those numbers I'll be the first to admit being wrong, but I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen.  Actually, I'm pretty sure some teeny-tiny sample of some line-up sans Harden is going to be held up against the 600+ minutes of Harden's top 3 lineups posting positive numbers.

 

Basically, Harden's Net +/- is about +4.8 and Houston as a team (including Harden) is +3.6 (per NBA.com).  That means Harden is bringing up the overall average and it is actually worse than +3.6 without him.  But who cares about real stats when you can just make stuff up?

[Texan Ensemble]

thejohnnygold...I am ready for that apology. We average 105 points per game on the season, without Harden that number rises to 108 points per game. I will continue to looking for per 100 possessions and defensive numbers. But this Yahoo article from Jan 31 should suffice for the time being...

http://sports.yahoo....00100--nba.html

[Texan Ensemble]

Oh, also in that article is shows our points allowed per game is also better with Harden...101.6 with and 100.9 without. I bet that goes way down with a healthy Asik and/or Greg Smith or another big man via trade.

[Texan Ensemble]

Oh, also in that article it shows our points allowed per game is better without*** Harden. Sorry for typo and multiple posts, I am at work and doing a million things at once.

[txtdo1411]

I tend to love your posts JG... Always very informative and witty. I completely agree Harden's defensive woes are overblown. He has lapses that are extremely frustrating , but overall his D isn't as bad as its made out to be.

[txtdo1411]

Oh, also in that article is shows our points allowed per game is also better with Harden...101.6 with and 100.9 without. I bet that goes way down with a healthy Asik and/or Greg Smith or another big man via trade.

 

Sample Size alert! But really come on now. It has been 8 games, and we went 6-2 . I can semi-believe the Harden-detox theory, where we need a game here and there without him, but we aren't a better team without him. I don't know of any stats that can prove your point Texan ensemble. There just isn't enough of a sample size. 

[Incubus2803]

texas E, those games without Harden were mostly against poor defensive teams that play fast (Dallas x2, Philly, Minny etc) so of course the stats are going to lean that way.  the points per possession and efficiency are what you want to see, and seeing as Harden is one of the elite in those categories, im willing to bet the results arent going to be what you were hoping for

[thejohnnygold]

thejohnnygold...I am ready for that apology. We average 105 points per game on the season, without Harden that number rises to 108 points per game. I will continue to looking for per 100 possessions and defensive numbers. But this Yahoo article from Jan 31 should suffice for the time being...

http://sports.yahoo....00100--nba.html

 

Ah, I didn't think of it that way...should have seen that coming.  I will eat a little crow here.

 

But not very much

 

As was mentioned it is a small sample and it ignores all the minutes played without Harden in the other 41 games.  It was also mentioned that our competition was not stellar.  Let's look at who we played:

 

Philly - the night Lin went off for 9 3 pt-ers plus Philly plays the fastest pace and little defense

 

Minny - Aaron Brooks went off for 10-14 and 6-7 from 3 pt..  We also shot a combined 17-31 from 3

 

Memphis - No Marc Gasol.  We all saw the difference that makes.

 

Atlanta - We shot 14-27 from 3 pt.

 

Detroit - The night Dwight schooled Drummond and shot 13-18 with 9-14 free throws.  Finished with 35 pts, 19 rebs, 3 blks, and 5 asts.  Meanwhile, Detroit shot 1-12 from 3 pt.

 

Dallas - Another high pace team not renowned for defense

 

San Antonio - Injury riddled Spurs team.  Jones was 9-12.  Howard shot 25 free throws (and made 13).

 

Dallas - Still high-paced with no D.  Spurs were 5-19 from 3 pt....and thankfully 0-2 on those last two by Calderon.

 

The numbers are compelling, but after looking at the competition I am inclined to say this small sample did benefit from a soft schedule.  There were also quite a few abnormal shooting nights--some well above average ones for the Rockets and some well below average ones for our opponents.

 

Also, I'd like to point out that the guy who wrote this article, M. DeMoor (who I am not a fan of), starts his article with this statement:

 

"Coming off a back-to-back sweep of the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, it's time to start asking the question: Are the Rockets better off without their offensive-minded shooting guard?

 

Of course not, but I see where the confusion can stem from."

 

Thus, the very article you use to support your position disagrees with you.

 

I agree that seeing the ball move more is nice and leads to more open shots which leads to more made shots.  I think Houston, including Harden, will get to where this is the norm.  Time will tell.

[PhillyCheese]

Please stop quoting De Mor.  That writer was totally anti-Lin and now he has done a complete 180.  It seems he writes articles that generate clicks only and blows whichever way the wind blows.  He has zero credibility to me.

Edited by PhillyCheese, 06 February 2014 - 11:10 AM.

[Texan Ensemble]

I guess I disagree. Eight games is not a huge sample size by any means, but it is just about 16-17% of our games so far. Plus, look at our record without Parsons, I can not find the exact number, but its a losing record. I am not denying that Harden is a great player, but look at what he has been doing all season. He has a 4-20 game once a week it seems, on offense he is always just standing behind the three point line waiting for the ball so he can go ISO, bull rush to the hoop or jack up a three where he is shooting 32.8%. Lets take stats out the of the equation, just use the eye test...we look better without Harden.

I hope I am wrong, but I just do not think we will win a title with Harden. I would rather pair him with Asik and picks to get someone back who is a true PG, or if we can not get that, then a elite inside defender for our second unit and get space to re-sign Parsons and T-Jones.

I understand Harden is young, but how much has his game grown since last year versus the game of Parsons, T-Jones, Lin and D-Mo. Yes, all those players still had a lot more room to grow than Harden, but I have not seen any growth from Harden in the places where he needed to grow.

[timetodienow1234567]

Hardens drop off to Lin is not as big as Parsons drop off to Casspi/Garcia. That's the reason.

[feelingsupersonic]

I did not say Parsons said that. I said Parsons said the offense flows better due to more passing and movement. But the numbers do say we are a better offense without Harden, not in position to go searching for them, but I know our points per game and 100 possessions is greater without Harden. And our points allowed per game and 100 possessions is also better.

 

 

This statement that the Rockets are better offensively and defensively with Harden off the court is completely false. I will have time to find and pull up the stats later this morning or this afternoon but here are a couple quotes/articles to hold everyone over.

 

 

From Matthew Tynan at sbnation.com:

 

"For whatever it's worth, the Rockets shoot the ball at a negligibly better percentage and create a slightly improved assist rate when Harden is on the bench, according to NBA.com/Stats, but their efficiency ratings are worse by several points per 100 possessions on both sides of the ball when he sits."

 

http://www.sbnation....harden-comments

 

 

From John Friel at dimemag.com: 

 

"Even with a career-low three-point percentage of 33 percent on over six attempts per game, James Harden still remains arguably the league’s most prolific shooting guard. Well, at least on the offensive end. The Rockets offense plummets from 109.4 points per 100 possessions when Harden’s on the court to 103.7 when he exits. As a whole, the team drops off from a plus-6.6 to a minus-3.2, the only negative plus/minus rating for anyone on Houston when they’re off the court, when he hits the bench."

 

http://dimemag.com/2...ar-team-year/3/

 

 

 

 

 

I mean I could be wrong but to me it's pretty obvious the Rockets are always better when Harden is on the court.