knicksnyk wrote:The rockets aren't building around James Harden or Lin or Asik or whoever. They are building around a philosophy. Fast pace, dribble penetration by there guards, PNR, getting to the FT line, shots at the rim & 3's. Rockets are essentially money balling there team. Only taking the most efficient shots in the NBA shots at the rim, FT's & 3's they hardly ever take long 2's or other inefficient shots. It isn't Hardens team if anything it is Morey's team because it is built around his analytics approach
Look at there main core
Lin parsons harden Asik. they are all good passers for there position, good FT shooters for there position, efficient scorers & proficient in the PNR in some capacity. Lin & Harden are both elite PNR ball handlers who like to drive to the basket are quick & can beat there man off the dribble. They arent building around Harden they are building around a philosophy & Harden is just one of there 4 main pieces. The Rockets owner said as much, they have a philosophy & they are only going to find guys that fit that philosophy.
Nice core, sure.
But this has always been a superstar's league. You need to have a certain type of player who can score at will and break some hearts in the process. Every Rocket fan I know will tell you that Harden is the man on that team. This is not meant as a slight on Lin by any means, he just has to understand that he has an important role on that team, just like Parsons and Asik. But Harden is clearly the guy they are depending on to strike it rich. He's a 26/5/4 player w/ playoff experience (WCF) as I am writing this.
The formula necessary to win is 1 or 2 transcendent superstar(s) and you surround him with good auxiliary scorers/defenders + competent bench. That's how winning is done in the NBA. Now, I'm not saying that Harden is a future HOF, because he has a lot to prove and just like Lin, he has his detractors. But why did you think Morey spent so much time restructuring the roster and stockpiling picks these past few offseasons? All these reports of setting themselves up for D12 and other superstars to come over? This was all methodically done pre-Harden/Lin.
You do make some fair points though. Harden and Lin (if he keeps up his consistency) is a nice dynamic backcourt for the future sure. But they must have a go-to player/scorer (Knicks/Melo), and so far Harden has defined that consistently.
Bran Fast Hands wrote:I could not care less about Jeremy Lin. I want a detailed break down of Landry Fields and Jared Jefferies seasons.
Landry Fields is another guy that's underrated around here and I'm here to set the record straight. I think Toronto is totally using him wrong and he should really be avging something like 19/12/7. He has a textbook, ice man-like jump shot down cold and the court vision of a hungry, determined beaver. If he played 35+ mins instead of 20 and let him run the offense as a point forward, I guarantee you that his game will open up to everybody around him IMO... so much that Calderon would instantly win MIP. I also think TOR is going to make a HUGE mistake when they trade him for Special K cereal because I can see T-Mac part 2 all over again...