James Harden casually listened as reporters steered the Miami Warmth protection acquired to him. May there be a extra apropos ending to Monday’s Recreation 1 than this? And will there be a extra becoming ending than Harden dismissing the thought.
Did he assume the Warmth’s P.J. Tucker, his one-time teammate in Houston, knew frustrate him?
“P.J.’s P.J.,” the Philadelphia 76ers star guard stated.
What about solely attending to the foul line 4 occasions slightly than the 8.7 he averages?
“Subsequent query,” he stated.
Right here it was, lower than an hour after the Warmth’s Recreation 1 win, and Harden nonetheless wasn’t enjoying aggressively. He couldn’t make some grand assertion in a approach that defines his profession.
Harden, to be honest, is within the worst spot the singular scorer of a staff will be. He’s in Erik Spolestra’s crosshairs. The Warmth coach Trae-Younger’d Harden in Monday’s Recreation 1 win. He took Harden thus far out of the sport within the second half he would possibly as nicely stood in a concession line.
Harden talked of exhausting our bodies assembly him at each flip, of by no means getting snug — and of the turnovers.
“Too many turnovers,” he stated, that means his 5 in opposition to 5 assists.
Quietly, so quietly, Spoelstra does what New England Patriots coach Invoice Belichick is known for doing. He takes away the opponent’s finest participant at any time when potential. Perhaps if he wore a hoodie or reduce off his sleeves individuals would discover extra?
Take a look at the numbers. Harden averaged 21 factors enjoying second fiddle to heart Joel Embiid this season. He had 16 factors as first fiddle in Recreation 1 when Philadelphia wanted him to star.
With Embiid injured, Harden was the singular concern for the Warmth — simply as Younger was within the earlier Atlanta sequence. Younger averaged 28.4 factors within the common season and 15.4 within the opening sequence in opposition to the Warmth.
“I’ve acquired to go residence and have a look at what occurred,” Younger stated after the Warmth gained in 5 video games.
Spoelstra occurred. His developed roster and technique occurred. The roster is so deep even defensive canines like Tucker and Jimmy Butler are changed with equally imposing Caleb Martin and Victor Oladipo.
The technique? Use a altering forged of our bodies. Shut down driving lanes. Be bodily however don’t foul. Push him to spots he doesn’t like (can Harden drive to his proper?) And demand another person beat you.
Atlanta had nobody else. Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris had 27 factors Monday evening. So what?
After trailing by a degree in a lackluster first half, the Warmth pulled away because of rebounding and protection in a second half, when Harden had simply 4 factors on 2-of-7 capturing. That’s it.
“I feel I could possibly be a bit extra aggressive,” Harden stated. “They did a extremely good job of exhibiting their our bodies, crowding the ball. We’ll watch movie and discover methods to get higher.”
Two seasons in the past, Spoelstra arrange The Nice Wall in opposition to Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo to shut his most well-liked driving lanes and flush them out of the playoffs.
Giannis exhibits the restrictions with this in basketball, too. A extra mature Milwaukee swept the Warmth final 12 months en path to its championship. You possibly can’t out-strategize nice groups in basketball. You simply must beat them.
It’s totally different with one-man bands like Atlanta and an Embiid-less Philadelphia. If requested to be the singular identify on the marquee, Harden’s profession exhibits a participant able to carrying an evening, not a sequence. He made 5-of-13 photographs.
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers talked of numbers he can management, just like the Warmth having 13 extra photographs due partly to having six extra offensive rebounds and three turnovers. However the Warmth weren’t the Warmth in Recreation 1, both. Not likely.
Butler, probably nonetheless battling knee tendinitis, had a hum-drum 15 factors. Kyle Lowry was out with a sore hamstring. Bam Adebayo took benefit of Philadelphia’s leftovers at heart, and Tyler Herro had capturing evening. However the Warmth shot 43.5 % to Philadelphia’s 43 %.
Spoelstra talked of the Warmth not including “context” to those video games’ that means with out Embiid. However let’s be clear. The Warmth want these two opening video games with Embiid out earlier than seeing if he’s again for Recreation 3 on Friday. With Embiid, Philadelphia is attention-grabbing. With out him, they’re Atlanta.
Spoelstra, after all, talks of it simply being one sport, of how Harden is simply too good to have nights like this. All true. However Spoelstra additionally aligns with the concept that when you begin considering you’re nice, you’re executed.
“Belief the Course of,” was Philadelphia’s unhappy motto because it tanked a number of seasons to supposedly assemble a powerhouse (sound acquainted, Miami Dolphins followers?). Spoelstra’s motto is extra akin to the phrases of Ron Rothstein, the one-time coach turned analyst, “Don’t belief happiness.”
One sport isn’t something to belief. However you’ve seen this Warmth protection for some time now — for years, for those who’ve paid consideration. Give Spoelstra a hoodie and everybody would know.
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