Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:02 pm Post subject: Howard Back - Will Defer to Harden
"He said, 'I'll be returning soon, but I don't want you to change your game," Harden told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. "He said, 'I don't want you to do anything different. Just go out there and do what you do, and do it at a high level every single night.' He said, 'I'll adjust to you,' and that right there gave me confidence to just play, and play my game and not worry about anything else. Once you hear that from your other leader, then you know you can just go out there and play the way that I've been playing.
So all it took was a major injury for him to defer to Harden. Oh wait, wasn't he hurt on the Lakers and he...never mind. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 4330 Location: Meeting the man who met Andy Griffith.
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:12 pm Post subject:
Still a punk (bleep). _________________ "The best there is. The best there was. The best there ever will be.", said Bret Hart regarding the Los Angeles Lakers.
So all it took was a major injury for him to defer to Harden. Oh wait, wasn't he hurt on the Lakers and he...never mind.
You can go back to Howard's introductory LA press conference and hear the same types of comments about deferring. It's quite possible his injuries and lack of success have humbled him. Deferring to Harden is the smart move. If only we had had the idea of having Howard sublimate his offensive game and defer to better scorers we could have really had something.
I think its due to his injuries. All last year and earlier this season we gave him ample post opportunities. It makes sense with the talk of his minutes being limited and restrictions from playing B2Bs.
Is there anything of substance in that quote? Does it say, "I'll stop posting up on 50% of my possessions used because I'm terrible at it", or are we just projecting that?
Is there anything of substance in that quote? Does it say, "I'll stop posting up on 50% of my possessions used because I'm terrible at it", or are we just projecting that?
The substance piece is him noting he will adjust to Harden. Supposedely the team has been telling him that they want him to focus on a different role while he has been sidelined. McHale is on record that he will have to fit in with how the team has been playing. And the following quote:
Quote:
"I definitely needed to hear that, and he told it to me. So right there that gave me all the confidence in the world, not to try to force it to get him into a rhythm or try to do anything forceful. I can just play my game. Him telling me that just gave me the green light to just go out there and just be the James Harden that I've been being all season."
Howard: I suck. I want to ride your ass. I suck. I want to ride your ass. I suck. _________________ "Now, if life is coffee, then the jobs, money & position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold & contain life, but the quality of life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
Could be wrong, but I don't see Howard ever being the guy he was prior to injury. Guy is still a net positive on defense, but the lack of offense (and mobility) will rear its ugly head come playoff time.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35813 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 8:17 pm Post subject:
shaq3234 wrote:
Could be wrong, but I don't see Howard ever being the guy he was prior to injury. Guy is still a net positive on defense, but the lack of offense (and mobility) will rear its ugly head come playoff time.
Which injury? Back, shoulder, or knee?
He never really recovered from the back injury. His pre-injury athleticism, along with Van Gundy's offense, really masked his lack of offensive ability. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Could be wrong, but I don't see Howard ever being the guy he was prior to injury. Guy is still a net positive on defense, but the lack of offense (and mobility) will rear its ugly head come playoff time.
Which injury? Back, shoulder, or knee?
He never really recovered from the back injury. His pre-injury athleticism, along with Van Gundy's offense, really masked his lack of offensive ability.
His back - and totally agreed. Dwight actually had a good thing out in Orlando. A coach and GM who surrounded him with shooters, perimeter scoring and spacing. It's funny though. You'd think paring up with Haren (no d) would have made sense, hell playing for a coach who's arguably the most skilled post player of all-time sounds even better. The reality is, Houston is a one-and-done team in the postseason. Their half-court offense is comedy relief.
Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 3079 Location: Portugal
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:04 am Post subject:
Last year in G3 vs the Blazers he scored the first 13 points down low.
They need that in the playoffs. _________________ -----------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMadeira
So all it took was a major injury for him to defer to Harden. Oh wait, wasn't he hurt on the Lakers and he...never mind.
The injury might have helped, but its probably more about how much they've been winning without him. He's never had that before. _________________ I believe everything the media tells me except for anything for which I have direct personal knowledge, which they always get wrong
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 22842 Location: La Jolla, San Diego
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 2:17 am Post subject:
This is simple human psychology. The dynamics in Houston is different. Howard is viewed as a leader and just as important as Harden. I think he wanted the same respect in LA, but didn't get it. First week, they asked Howard who's team it is, he said it's OUR team. Same question to Kobe, and Kobe says, "Lets squash this right now, it's MY team." So when Howard says he doesn't want Harden to change, he's saying it from a position of power. Like he's giving permission, giving Harden his blessing, etc. That's a little bit easier for someone with ego to swallow, a little easier to be humble when you've been given the power.
Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 3079 Location: Portugal
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 3:24 am Post subject:
Runway8 wrote:
This is simple human psychology. The dynamics in Houston is different. Howard is viewed as a leader and just as important as Harden. I think he wanted the same respect in LA, but didn't get it. First week, they asked Howard who's team it is, he said it's OUR team. Same question to Kobe, and Kobe says, "Lets squash this right now, it's MY team." So when Howard says he doesn't want Harden to change, he's saying it from a position of power. Like he's giving permission, giving Harden his blessing, etc. That's a little bit easier for someone with ego to swallow, a little easier to be humble when you've been given the power.
Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 11197 Location: The Other Perspective
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:22 am Post subject:
I think he's just finally realized that he'll never be the same player he was back when he was The Man in Orlando. Back when he was with us, he wasn't ready to accept that yet. _________________ "Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him
Howards problem in LA was never about Kobe's FGA. He always knew he was coming to play a 2nd option role and also share the problem with Nash/Gasol. It was a "super" team attempt.
The thing that seemed to be the issue were personalities and Howard wanting Phil over MDA, feeling slighted that they didn't pick Phil since he asked for it personally. With Kobe in particular, it rarely seemed they had issues on the court. It seemed most of their stuff was locker room/ego stuff.
With James Harden he hasn't had the issue at all because of two things. One, James is just as immature as Dwight. They're about the same maturity wise. What Dwight probably finds funny and "culturally" appealing, James does as well. In fact I'd suggest that James actually looks up to Dwight a bit and goes to him for advise. In contrast to LA, Kobe and Dwight didn't have that relationship. Kobe didn't like Dwight's personality and vice-versa. Second, McHale commands respect from his players in a way MDA and Brown can only dream of. The situation in Houston is vastly different from LA. Dwight was very shrewd in picking them. He knew LA was a sinking ship and HOU was an emerging team he could hop on to on the way up.
All that said, I don't think HOU will win a ring with the set up they have. They will need 1-2 more quality veteran role players like Ariza was this past summer.
Howards problem in LA was never about Kobe's FGA. He always knew he was coming to play a 2nd option role and also share the problem with Nash/Gasol. It was a "super" team attempt.
The thing that seemed to be the issue were personalities and Howard wanting Phil over MDA, feeling slighted that they didn't pick Phil since he asked for it personally. With Kobe in particular, it rarely seemed they had issues on the court. It seemed most of their stuff was locker room/ego stuff.
With James Harden he hasn't had the issue at all because of two things. One, James is just as immature as Dwight. They're about the same maturity wise. What Dwight probably finds funny and "culturally" appealing, James does as well. In fact I'd suggest that James actually looks up to Dwight a bit and goes to him for advise. In contrast to LA, Kobe and Dwight didn't have that relationship. Kobe didn't like Dwight's personality and vice-versa. Second, McHale commands respect from his players in a way MDA and Brown can only dream of. The situation in Houston is vastly different from LA. Dwight was very shrewd in picking them. He knew LA was a sinking ship and HOU was an emerging team he could hop on to on the way up.
All that said, I don't think HOU will win a ring with the set up they have. They will need 1-2 more quality veteran role players like Ariza was this past summer.
I agree wolf, plus it will be a challenge to be cohesive for the playoffs after Howard missed all that playing time. While the Howard and Kobe relationship was at times testy, his relationship with MDA was worse. He also didn't enjoy Nash as Nash was just a shell of himself as a player and an absolute disaster to clean up after on defense. I think it could have been salvaged had the front office been accommodating about releasing MDA and allowing Howard to help select the next head coach (I don't think it had to be Phil). Instead management shoved Kobe, MDA and Nash down his throat during their ill-fated, "Stay in LA" plea. Why on Earth anyone with a lick of common sense would parade the very three people Dwight found irritating is beyond belief, but that's Jimmie. But perhaps that failure worked out to our advantage (perhaps) as Dwight looks like he might be breaking down physically.
Last edited by angrypuppy on Wed Mar 25, 2015 5:19 am; edited 1 time in total
Could be wrong, but I don't see Howard ever being the guy he was prior to injury. Guy is still a net positive on defense, but the lack of offense (and mobility) will rear its ugly head come playoff time.
Which injury? Back, shoulder, or knee?
He never really recovered from the back injury. His pre-injury athleticism, along with Van Gundy's offense, really masked his lack of offensive ability.
I think his ego has been permanently hurt. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Is there anything of substance in that quote? Does it say, "I'll stop posting up on 50% of my possessions used because I'm terrible at it", or are we just projecting that?
The substance piece is him noting he will adjust to Harden. Supposedely the team has been telling him that they want him to focus on a different role while he has been sidelined. McHale is on record that he will have to fit in with how the team has been playing. And the following quote:
Quote:
"I definitely needed to hear that, and he told it to me. So right there that gave me all the confidence in the world, not to try to force it to get him into a rhythm or try to do anything forceful. I can just play my game. Him telling me that just gave me the green light to just go out there and just be the James Harden that I've been being all season."
Talk is cheap, but we shall see.
It's just that the language is so vague. The solution to Houston getting the most out of their roster with Dwight on the court is simple. He needs to stop posting up. He is off the charts on nearly every other play type other than posting up, yet that comprises a good 50% of his used possessions. He's generating 0.72 PPP on his post ups this year, and that's consistent with what he's produced in the last few years before that.
Things like "deferring" and "play your game" are empty words. What he needs to do is painfully simple.
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