-
Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Trade & What it Means for James Harden
The logical thing to do after another early exit from the playoffs for the Houston Rockets? Getting rid of Kevin McHale, making James Harden understand that this team isn’t just about him and giving Jeremy Lin a bigger role in running the offense. However, the NBA isn’t the most logical of places at times, and there’s nothing from what’s happened over the last two years that suggests right decisions are what we should expect from this franchise.
-
Houston Rockets – James Harden & Jeremy Lin Need A Better Head Coach
While for Jeremy Lin the case of the matter is him needing a head coach that actually likes and appreciates him, things are different for James Harden. The Houston Rockets see their future being led by him, but for that one to be less filled with falling short and early playoff disappointments, there has got to be a change and the head coaching position, which means letting go of Kevin McHale.
-
Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Needs a Change, James Harden Needs to Change
The season is over way too early for the Houston Rockets who have themselves a head coach in Kevin McHale who really doesn’t know how to make all the moving parts of James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Dwight Howard work together, preferring to simply wing it and let his star nearly decimate an entire series on his own than try and teach this team some actual offense and defense that would have gotten them through.
-
Houston Rockets – James Harden Showed up Too Late, Jeremy Lin Didn’t
On good game from James Harden doesn’t erase all the wrong and bad he did for the Houston Rockets through the entire series, as the Houston Rockets somehow lost 99-98 to the Portland Trail Blazers in game 6, knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the second straight season, while Jeremy Lin was once again put in the wrong kind of situation and didn’t really make the most of it.
-
Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Teaching Winning Basketball to James Harden
The simple fact? If there was no Jeremy Lin in game 5 for the Houston Rockets against the Portland Trail Blazers, they’d be out of the playoffs. They are still behind, but a huge game from the demoted point guard, along with Dwight Howard being massive on both ends of the floor countered another awful performance from James Harden to come away with the 108-98 win.
-
Houston Rockets – James Harden & Jeremy Lin in Their Last Chance Saloon
Every game, if there will be more than one game, is a back-against-the-wall one for the Houston Rockets. James Harden will try to prove that the strategy of giving him the ball and hoping that something good comes of it finally works, while Jeremy Lin, although reality tells us otherwise, might get another shot at trying to prove to Kevin McHale that this season has been one huge mistake, and he can be of huge help to the team.
-
Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Punished, James Harden Doesn’t Change
The Houston Rockets find themselves on the verge of elimination after losing 123-120 to the Portland Trail Blazers in another overtime game between the two teams. Jeremy Lin made a huge blunder at the end of regulation, maybe blowing a win for his team, but James Harden continues to be immune when it comes to accountability for mistakes, resulting in another bad performance from him when it mattered the most.
-
NBA Playoffs – Houston Rockets Should Worry About James Harden
There are tests for NBA coaches planted all through the season for them to show their merits, and the ability to learn from mistakes. James Harden had some impressive numbers in the game 3 win over the Blazers, although he did more wrong than right for his team. Jeremy Lin? Without the ball, in the wrong role, he still managed to make the best of a crummy situation, and make a few big plays that saves the season for the Houston Rockets.
-
Houston Rockets – James Harden Not Letting Jeremy Lin Out of his Shadow
This is close to treading water, but sometimes it is frustrating to see how badly a team is coached, and the bullheadedness of some NBA coaches with other options just there next to them to use. Kevin McHale isn’t willing, or isn’t strong enough, to move James Harden off of his perch where he feels very comfortable, but is also playing very badly at the moment, and turning to Jeremy Lin out of the blue either isn’t going to happen or isn’t going to help.
-
Houston Rockets – James Harden Getting Worse, Jeremy Lin Made Redundant
Smart teams, with a good head coach, make adjustments between and during games when things don’t work. Kevin McHale simply isn’t in that category. Otherwise he wouldn’t allow James Harden to do the things he does as the Houston Rockets lose (112-105) to the Portland Trail Blazers for a second time in the postseason, while allowing his defense to become irrelevant, almost like he’s done to Jeremy Lin.