1. James Harden is choking -- again -- and no one is noticing.
Along with Stephen Curry, James Harden is one of the two most entertaining basketball players in the universe. Most of the time, Harden is one of my personal favorites.
However, I can't deny my extreme frustration with him come playoff time. For the third time in Harden's relatively short professional career, he is blatantly choking during postseason play. I think the guy is phenomenal, but we simply cannot deny the facts:
2011-12 Regular Season: 49.1% FG, 39% 3PT, 16.8 PPG
2011-12 NBA Finals: 18-of-48 (37.5% FG), 7-of-22 (31.8% 3PT), 12.4 PPG
2013-14 Regular Season: 45.6% FG, 36.6% 3PT
2013-14 Postseason: 37.6% FG, 29.6% 3PT
2014-15 Regular Season: 44% FG, 37.% 3PT
2014-15 Postseason: 32.1% FG, 22.2% 3PT
I mean, seriously, look at those differentials! There is absolutely no way to refute those statistics; Harden clearly feels the pressure under the bright lights of the postseason. And if you don't give a crap about the stats, just watch every playoff game (like I do)...he consistently misses makeable shots that he routinely buries throughout the regular season, especially short-to-midrange step-back jumpers.
So why isn't anyone noticing? Because the Rockets are up 2-0 over the stumbling Mavs. Harden has plenty of time to turn it around -- because Houston will most certainly advance past Dallas -- but the fact remains that I am very concerned about his psyche. There are definitely indications of a mental breakdown.
In terms of skills, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Chris Paul or Blake Griffin. I think CP3 is one of the best all-around point guards in the history of the NBA, and Griffin is one of the most explosive and versatile power forwards the game has ever seen.
However, this Clippers team never gets over the hump because CP and BG don't make the necessary backbreaking plays down the stretch of playoff nailbiters. Case in point, in the Clippers' excruciating Game 2 loss to the Spurs, Paul missed a very makeable game winner at the end of regulation and Griffin committed two embarrassing (and virtually unforced) turnovers.
Conversely, Tim Duncan, Patty Mills, Boris Diaw, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard had no problems making high-pressure plays for San Antonio. Which leads me to the following prediction:
The Clippers are an outstanding team, but I don't think they are quite ready to beat the Spurs four times in a postseason series. The Clips looked dominant in Game 1, but I think the Spurs will out-execute them over the entirety of the best-of-seven series.
Rondo has always had a reputation as an individual who is very difficult to coach and/or get along with, but now he's playing for Rick Carlisle and Mark Cuban, and alongside legend Dirk Nowitzki, and somehow his attitude gets worse? How can that be? We're talking about one of the top five head coaches in the league, one of the most passionate and dedicated owners and a great teammate, warrior and champion.
Basically, Rondo's an asshole and he's also a crappy player at this point. Although, I will say, he's not entirely to blame. Dallas' front office dug its own grave when it broke up one of the most efficient and effective offenses in the league to acquire a past-his-prime point guard with zero perimeter shooting ability. As we watch point guards like Curry, Paul, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Jeff Teague and Mike Conley light it up from the outside, one can only wonder why the Mavs opted for an aging point man who creates an obvious defensive advantage for the opposition. Worst transaction of the season.
As for Williams, my blood boils the second I see his face or hear his name. Here's the misconception about Williams: People keep saying that he's finished physically, but that simply isn't the case. He's still one of the best ballhandlers and passers in the game. Deron Williams' issues are entirely mental and emotional. He's afraid of success. He's afraid of the big moment. He shrinks when his teammates, coaches and fans need him most. We saw this again when he missed an easy game-tying jumper in Game 2 against the Hawks.
He still has skills, but he'll never be a winner. Deron Williams is a loser, through and through.
As for Williams, my blood boils the second I see his face or hear his name. Here's the misconception about Williams: People keep saying that he's finished physically, but that simply isn't the case. He's still one of the best ballhandlers and passers in the game. Deron Williams' issues are entirely mental and emotional. He's afraid of success. He's afraid of the big moment. He shrinks when his teammates, coaches and fans need him most. We saw this again when he missed an easy game-tying jumper in Game 2 against the Hawks.
He still has skills, but he'll never be a winner. Deron Williams is a loser, through and through.
