Tonight could very well be the end of James Harden's 2015 season. It has been a defining one for him. He began his march towards superstar status when he first came to Houston, and this year cemented himself as one of the games best players. Harden led Houston to the second best record in the western conference, an impressive feat considering the strength of the conference. At the same time there was very little difference between the two seed and the six seed in the west.
Harden put up impressive numbers, as he did not always shoot the ball efficiently from the field, but he consistently got to the free throw line more than any other player in the league. It has been an impressive year for Harden. He had to carry a team that was without its second best player in Dwight Howard, much of the season. It was hard for me to get completely behind the Harden for MVP campaign, because I just did not think it was him. I believed Stephen Curry was the MVP of the league from start to finish. I never once fell for the 50 point James Harden games here and there. In fact, I think I did not give him enough credit this season. Simply because no one seemed to recognize how good Curry was even if you did not take into account statistics.
Well, here we are before game four of the conference finals, and Harden is about to lose to the MVP. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if Harden can get back to these conference finals, without a big change in the lineup. Golden State will continue to dominate the west for the next couple years, and Oklahoma City will hopefully have both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook at full strength. I think San Antonio will improve as well.
The next step for Houston is James Harden getting a little more help, and Harden himself becoming a more efficient scorer.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Game Two
Well I was way off on last nights game. Golden State got off to the start I expected, but like the Rockets did in game one, the Warriors gave up the lead and the game was tied at the half. It went down to the wire and the ball was in James Harden's hands. Unfortunately that's how it ended, with Harden ultimately fumbling the basketball as time expired. It was a great back and forth battle between Harden and Stephen Curry. The two went for 38 and 33 respectively, and hit countless big shots during the forth quarter. Again, I still believe this series is over in five, but I still haven't seen the blowout I thought was coming. Houston and Golden State are making up for my complete lack of interest in the Hawks-Cavs series.
I know the Hawks are supposed to be the Spurs of the east, which is somewhat true. They are the Spurs of the EAST. A much weaker conference with less competition. The Hawks are much less fun to watch in stretches, as their bench can struggle a lot at times. The offense as a whole goes through rough patches where they can seem to buy a basket, which never seems to be a problem in San Antonio.
LeBron James will always be enough to grab my attention, but only for stretches as his club has not been that great to watch either. With no Kevin Love and an injured Kyrie Irving, the Cavs are not as exciting as they were game one of the playoffs. I have a feeling tonight the Hawks show up and go for over 100. JR Smith does not hit every shot he takes tonight, but maybe Kyrie will hit a few. Hawks will barely win tonight by a slim margin. 105-100.
I know the Hawks are supposed to be the Spurs of the east, which is somewhat true. They are the Spurs of the EAST. A much weaker conference with less competition. The Hawks are much less fun to watch in stretches, as their bench can struggle a lot at times. The offense as a whole goes through rough patches where they can seem to buy a basket, which never seems to be a problem in San Antonio.
LeBron James will always be enough to grab my attention, but only for stretches as his club has not been that great to watch either. With no Kevin Love and an injured Kyrie Irving, the Cavs are not as exciting as they were game one of the playoffs. I have a feeling tonight the Hawks show up and go for over 100. JR Smith does not hit every shot he takes tonight, but maybe Kyrie will hit a few. Hawks will barely win tonight by a slim margin. 105-100.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
It Will Only Get Better for the Warriors
The Golden State Warriors survived a game one battle last night, narrowly defeating the Houston Rockets by four points. It was a very interesting game, as the Rockets got off to a great start, going up by 16 with just five minutes to go in the first half. Then the Warriors began to turn it around, thanks in no small part to their versatile backup point guard Shaun Livingston. Livingston had 16 points in the first half and sparked the run late in the second quarter that helped the Warriors take the lead. The MVP Stephen Curry ended the half in typical Curry fashion, letting go of a step back jumper with no time on the clock and watching it fall through the net. The Warriors held a 58-55 lead at the half, after Houston had played so well.
James Harden had one of his better playoff games in my opinion. He finished with 28 points 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Harden was getting his step back jumper to go, a shot that had failed him recently. When Harden is not hitting his isolation jump shots, he does not have efficient nights from the field, but 11-19 was a great sign for the Rockets.
Houston played well last night which is another good sign, but the Warriors did not. Game one does not change my opinion of how this series will go, I think the Warriors did not come close to their best last night, and the Rockets did about as well as they could without Dwight Howard being effective. Going forward it is important that the Warriors begin to clamp down more defensively. Continue to let Josh Smith shoot threes, and put more pressure on ball handlers other than Harden. The defense will lead to even more fast break opportunities for the Warriors. As always they can cut down on the unforced errors when they try to make the home run play, but those never seem to be too big of an issue, just limiting them is key.
I think game two will be a blowout. I don't see Harden scoring as efficiently as he did in game one, and I think the injury to Dwight Howard is a real concern going forward in this series. The splash brothers will be too much. That and an improved defensive performance will help give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
James Harden had one of his better playoff games in my opinion. He finished with 28 points 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Harden was getting his step back jumper to go, a shot that had failed him recently. When Harden is not hitting his isolation jump shots, he does not have efficient nights from the field, but 11-19 was a great sign for the Rockets.
Houston played well last night which is another good sign, but the Warriors did not. Game one does not change my opinion of how this series will go, I think the Warriors did not come close to their best last night, and the Rockets did about as well as they could without Dwight Howard being effective. Going forward it is important that the Warriors begin to clamp down more defensively. Continue to let Josh Smith shoot threes, and put more pressure on ball handlers other than Harden. The defense will lead to even more fast break opportunities for the Warriors. As always they can cut down on the unforced errors when they try to make the home run play, but those never seem to be too big of an issue, just limiting them is key.
I think game two will be a blowout. I don't see Harden scoring as efficiently as he did in game one, and I think the injury to Dwight Howard is a real concern going forward in this series. The splash brothers will be too much. That and an improved defensive performance will help give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
Monday, May 18, 2015
The Rockets Are Here
The other side of the Clippers-Rockets series are the Rockets. The Houston Rockets did in fact win this series, and did so almost out of nowhere. We all have heard the story of how they came back, so let's move on. The Rockets now take on the best team in the league. A team that just had their first challenge of the year, trailing 2-1 against Memphis. The Warriors came back, because of the MVP. In contrast the Rockets came back, and without their MVP. Yes, Harden had a lot to do with game five and seven wins, but he was nowhere to be found during the decisive game six comeback.
So, during the regular season the Warriors won all four games by an average of 15 points. You can throw out any regular season numbers, but it was four blowouts, so something to at least keep in mind. The match-up on the surface is simply not great for the Rockets. The Rockets defense is not that great. The Warriors defense is elite. The Rockets can score a lot of points. The Warriors score the most. The Rockets have the runner up in the MVP race. The Warriors have the MVP. Not only of the regular season but also during the playoffs. Stephen Curry has been great for the Warriors, and most impressive during the two closeout games.
To me, the Rockets only have a chance if Josh Smith continues to play the way he has in the past two games, and Harden plays like an MVP. Not the 27, 6 and 8 guy, but a 35ppg guy. Harden must try to score 40 every night. I think he can drop 40 a couple of times, but it won't be enough. My prediction is that Houston will win either game three or four at home, but ultimately lose the series in five games. Houston is a very good team, and I don't want to discredit the amazing turnaround they pulled off against the Clippers, but they shouldn't be here. The Clippers blew it more than the Rockets won it in my opinion, and it will show when Houston gets blown out of the conference finals.
So, during the regular season the Warriors won all four games by an average of 15 points. You can throw out any regular season numbers, but it was four blowouts, so something to at least keep in mind. The match-up on the surface is simply not great for the Rockets. The Rockets defense is not that great. The Warriors defense is elite. The Rockets can score a lot of points. The Warriors score the most. The Rockets have the runner up in the MVP race. The Warriors have the MVP. Not only of the regular season but also during the playoffs. Stephen Curry has been great for the Warriors, and most impressive during the two closeout games.
To me, the Rockets only have a chance if Josh Smith continues to play the way he has in the past two games, and Harden plays like an MVP. Not the 27, 6 and 8 guy, but a 35ppg guy. Harden must try to score 40 every night. I think he can drop 40 a couple of times, but it won't be enough. My prediction is that Houston will win either game three or four at home, but ultimately lose the series in five games. Houston is a very good team, and I don't want to discredit the amazing turnaround they pulled off against the Clippers, but they shouldn't be here. The Clippers blew it more than the Rockets won it in my opinion, and it will show when Houston gets blown out of the conference finals.
Clippers Fail Again
The Houston Rockets pulled off a great comeback, finishing it today with a game seven win at home. They were down 3-1 in the series and trailed by 19 late in game six, but were able to turn it all around with the help of role players. Josh Smith and Corey Brewer led the way in game six and were instrumental in the game seven victory.
One part of the story is the unlikely turnaround by the Rockets, and the other is the collapse of the Los Angeles Clippers. They blew a 3-1 series lead. The team, many would say, have underachieved in the playoffs once again. Last year the team should have won game five against the Thunder, if it wasn't for an epic late game collapse. I'm not sure who to blame for this. Everyone always says that you can't blame Chris Paul for not reaching the conference finals yet. I don't know what else one would say. Once again Paul put up great numbers throughout the playoffs and in this series, but there was something missing. People used to always be very quick to blame LeBron James for failing to win big series. They would say that despite the numbers he was not clutch, and could never win a championship. Now, saying he was not clutch wasn't fair, but giving him the blame was. James should have taken the responsibility, as he did, for the many losses early in his career. As a superstar, franchise player and future hall of famer, that was the expectation. To be able to carry his team, when he had the opportunity, past tough opponents in late playoff rounds.
The same applies to Chris Paul when talking about the conference finals. He has not been able to reach the round yet. I am not saying his game to game play has been poor, certainly not statistically, but he lacks a certain ability to carry his team to victories. Let me preface what I'm saying. If a LeBron James led team, whether it be the Miami Heat or Cleveland Cavaliers, was leading a series three games to one, and then was up by 19 late in a game six, and went on to lose the series, would we not say that LeBron chocked? I know I would have said LeBron should have finished it off. Especially in the game six. Superstars should be able to will their team to win, whether it is scoring themselves or creating chances for others.
Blake Griffin must take some of the blame too, because this is his team as well. He was statistically very good these playoffs, I think he has been the second best player thus far behind Stephen Curry. At the end of game six he was a non-factor, and game seven he played well, but was not that aggressive. Los Angeles has a lot to figure out this offseason, with Deandre Jordan being their biggest priority. I'm not sure that there is a big need for change on this team at the top, but the supporting cast could use some work. Austin Rivers showed some great promise during the playoffs, but the rest of the bench is not too good. Matt Barnes could be replaced as the starter. His three point shot is just not consistent enough for someone who almost only shoots perimeter shots. The Clippers should look to sign or trade for a more dynamic wing player.
Perhaps Chris Paul will simply be one of these all time greats who never wins a championship. I think the Clippers will still have plenty of opportunities in the coming years, but the pressure will only rise.
One part of the story is the unlikely turnaround by the Rockets, and the other is the collapse of the Los Angeles Clippers. They blew a 3-1 series lead. The team, many would say, have underachieved in the playoffs once again. Last year the team should have won game five against the Thunder, if it wasn't for an epic late game collapse. I'm not sure who to blame for this. Everyone always says that you can't blame Chris Paul for not reaching the conference finals yet. I don't know what else one would say. Once again Paul put up great numbers throughout the playoffs and in this series, but there was something missing. People used to always be very quick to blame LeBron James for failing to win big series. They would say that despite the numbers he was not clutch, and could never win a championship. Now, saying he was not clutch wasn't fair, but giving him the blame was. James should have taken the responsibility, as he did, for the many losses early in his career. As a superstar, franchise player and future hall of famer, that was the expectation. To be able to carry his team, when he had the opportunity, past tough opponents in late playoff rounds.
The same applies to Chris Paul when talking about the conference finals. He has not been able to reach the round yet. I am not saying his game to game play has been poor, certainly not statistically, but he lacks a certain ability to carry his team to victories. Let me preface what I'm saying. If a LeBron James led team, whether it be the Miami Heat or Cleveland Cavaliers, was leading a series three games to one, and then was up by 19 late in a game six, and went on to lose the series, would we not say that LeBron chocked? I know I would have said LeBron should have finished it off. Especially in the game six. Superstars should be able to will their team to win, whether it is scoring themselves or creating chances for others.
Blake Griffin must take some of the blame too, because this is his team as well. He was statistically very good these playoffs, I think he has been the second best player thus far behind Stephen Curry. At the end of game six he was a non-factor, and game seven he played well, but was not that aggressive. Los Angeles has a lot to figure out this offseason, with Deandre Jordan being their biggest priority. I'm not sure that there is a big need for change on this team at the top, but the supporting cast could use some work. Austin Rivers showed some great promise during the playoffs, but the rest of the bench is not too good. Matt Barnes could be replaced as the starter. His three point shot is just not consistent enough for someone who almost only shoots perimeter shots. The Clippers should look to sign or trade for a more dynamic wing player.
Perhaps Chris Paul will simply be one of these all time greats who never wins a championship. I think the Clippers will still have plenty of opportunities in the coming years, but the pressure will only rise.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Is Memphis Already Done?
Golden State did what I thought they would, and won by double digits in game four. The Warriors are now tied up in this series, with a game on their home court tonight. Memphis played so well in their back to back wins in this series, but I have a lot of doubt going forward for them. Like many of these second round series, it seems the Grizzlies blew their chance at the series as the underdog. Both Chicago, Memphis and Washington all hosted game fours on their home court. All were up two games to one, and all lost. Most now believe that Cleveland, Golden State and Atlanta respectively, will go on to win the series'. Cleveland took a big step with a game five win at home last night, and Golden State will look to do the same tonight.
On of the main reasons the Warriors were able to pick up the play on Monday night, was the improved play of Stephen Curry. Everyone knew he was not going to go 2-10 or 2-11 from three again, but he also stepped up his leadership. Curry did not attempt a shot in the first eight minutes of game four. He let the game come to him and then proceeded to tear apart the Grizzlies defense scoring 33 points. Curry did it all. He played his game. In game five he must do exactly the same. Not necessarily score 33 points again, but have that same bounce to his step and confident play that has made him so good all season. The energy he has is infectious for this Warriors team, and with the home crowd there to support tonight, Memphis could be in for a long one.
Now, I don't exactly agree with the notion that Memphis is done for good after game four, but its close. If the Grizzlies want a shot they better show up tonight. The team will need something to take back home with them even if they lose this game. I can see Memphis forcing a game seven, and everyone always says anything can happen in a game seven, but come on. More often than not the home team wins a game seven, even if the game is competitive. Especially with the home crowd the bay area has been able to produce all year, I'm picking them in seven.
The Grizzlies could still win this series, but it will have to start tonight. I'm afraid I just can't see them winning these next two games.
On of the main reasons the Warriors were able to pick up the play on Monday night, was the improved play of Stephen Curry. Everyone knew he was not going to go 2-10 or 2-11 from three again, but he also stepped up his leadership. Curry did not attempt a shot in the first eight minutes of game four. He let the game come to him and then proceeded to tear apart the Grizzlies defense scoring 33 points. Curry did it all. He played his game. In game five he must do exactly the same. Not necessarily score 33 points again, but have that same bounce to his step and confident play that has made him so good all season. The energy he has is infectious for this Warriors team, and with the home crowd there to support tonight, Memphis could be in for a long one.
Now, I don't exactly agree with the notion that Memphis is done for good after game four, but its close. If the Grizzlies want a shot they better show up tonight. The team will need something to take back home with them even if they lose this game. I can see Memphis forcing a game seven, and everyone always says anything can happen in a game seven, but come on. More often than not the home team wins a game seven, even if the game is competitive. Especially with the home crowd the bay area has been able to produce all year, I'm picking them in seven.
The Grizzlies could still win this series, but it will have to start tonight. I'm afraid I just can't see them winning these next two games.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Why Tonight is Not Do or Die for the Warriors
Tonight is not a must win for the Golden State Warriors. Although this is a very good Memphis team, that has clearly found a way to beat this high powered offense, the Warriors do not have to win. The team which won 67 games, and has the MVP of the league is capable of coming back from down 3-1. There is reason for concern, but no reason to doubt the ability of this team. I think Steve Kerr needs to challenge the officials. The Warriors have been beaten up the past two games. Not only by the big men down low, but also by the elite perimeter defending of Tony Allen and Mike Conley. Kerr needs to challenge the officials to make more calls. Help give his shooters more space to get shots off. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have been forced to take very difficult shots the past two games, and have not been able to hit most of them.
Its easy to say Golden State needs to simply pick up the pace, and start to play faster, but that is easier said than done. The Warriors will step up tonight. I think Curry is too good to not shoot the ball well again. He will tonight. Game four is going to be a close one, but the Warriors will pull away and tie up this series. Similarly to what happened yesterday to the Bulls, the Grizzlies will miss their chance to win this series tonight.
Its easy to say Golden State needs to simply pick up the pace, and start to play faster, but that is easier said than done. The Warriors will step up tonight. I think Curry is too good to not shoot the ball well again. He will tonight. Game four is going to be a close one, but the Warriors will pull away and tie up this series. Similarly to what happened yesterday to the Bulls, the Grizzlies will miss their chance to win this series tonight.
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