The fate of the Rockets, in Game 7 and beyond, is in the hands of James Harden

James Harden was afraid. Russell Westbrook was reckless. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Time to stop all the fighting over who he is most guilty of the problems that have plagued the Rockets for years and repeated the defeat in Game 6 against the Thunder. The truth is that all missiles are to blame. Harden must demand the ball as an all-time great scorer should. Westbrook needs to maximize his impact off the ball. Mike D’Antoni cannot hesitate to deviate from the system: a midrange shot at the end of the quarter could help, just as it could not change every screen. It doesn’t matter who or what the no is. 1 on the Houston Rockets Blame Game Power chart. None Such problems may exist for the Rockets to ever hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy during the Harden Era, or outrun Chris Paul and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 on Wednesday.

The only reason CP3 is also playing for OKC is the conflict that arose between him and Harden in Houston. It has been well reported since last year that it has become a “me or him” scenario. It was an easy choice for Daryl Morey to keep Harden, who is four years younger and just two years after winning the MVP in the championship. But even if they clashed, it had to be a tough move to make considering that Paul was the ideal choice on paper for Harden as a player who could excel with or without the ball. We saw the best version of Harden with Paul, which is why Morey gave up so many quality players for him. It just didn’t work.

Westbrook is now playing the role of Paul alongside Harden. I don’t care if you love Westbrook so much that it’s your phone’s background image, it’s undeniably not ideal for Harden. Westbrook has shot 30.5% of 3 in his entire career and defenses don’t respect him as a shooter. Watch this comedy from the fourth quarter of match 6:

Harden only pushes four defenders to collapse in the paint. Westbrook has no one to defend him. Prepared teams like Oklahoma City don’t fear his shot, and that kills Houston’s distance. Paul is able to deflect the ball and intercept the pass, because there are no open passing lanes.

Westbrook obviously has its advantages. It’s an energizer that brings a different pace to Houston’s attack, especially when Harden is out of the game. And, yes, it is fearless. Westbrook has written some of the most impressive moments in the league since entering the league. The crushes. The triple-double seasons. The countless winners of the game.

But Westbrook is the NBA version of Brett Favre: he’s a gunslinger who has breathtaking moments that are tainted with grueling turnovers in crucial moments of big games. We saw it over and over over the course of Race 6, just like we did in moments during previous posts.

“We have to take care of it. Starting with myself, “Westbrook said after game 6.” I’m just trying to figure out the pace and timing, but I’ll find out in the next game. “We’ll see. Westbrook has had 14 playoff games with at least seven turnovers in the total 100 playoff games he played, which is a higher rate than Any of 23 players with more than two seven-round games since the start of his career, according to StatHead. He is also one of the most inefficient; of 82 players with over 500 shots during those playoff years, he ranks 70th in the percentage of real shots; Harden is in eighth place.

Westbrook is an incredible player with some major flaws and those flaws can be mitigated if Westbrook leans into a more auxiliary role as a defender, cutter and screener. This means giving up the ball more often, especially at the end of the game. But it’s also up to Harden to accept his status as one of the deadliest scorers ever and command the ball in late match situations, asking Westbrook or anyone else to give up. Right or not, Harden’s legacy is at stake. If he wants to be remembered as more than Karl Malone’s guard version, then he needs to show up for the playoffs.

Morey and D’Antoni built a system that has fueled some of the most efficient offenses in regular season history. The shot and spacing are setting the coordinates for the rest of the league to follow. But too often in the playoffs, the Rockets got stuck. They can become predictable and that places a great physical demand on Harden.

“Variety” is the word that team leaders and coaches have been using lately to describe which coaching approaches are most successful. People across the league are wondering why the Rockets don’t unlock the mid-range at the end of the clock or at the end of the game. There are countless times when a defender is sitting on the 3-point line. Or when defenders know they don’t fear mid-range pull-ups on a drive. Those hits may not be statistically more valuable than a 3 spot-up, but now that no one expects it to come, it should be a great opportunity. Especially for Harden. He’s a 24.6 percent shooter out of 3 in the fourth quarter and playoff overtime for the past five years. But he has a career at 39.1% on mid-range jumpers. Could a pull-up 2 be a statistically more advantageous post-game pull for him than a stepback 3?

We haven’t seen much variety from Harden since D’Antoni became his manager four years ago. D’Antoni integrated multiple sets with off-ball screening and used Harden as a screener. But Harden is still too often a spectator. When Harden gives up the ball, why does he hang between the 3-point line and the logo? While Harden they should ask for more ball, it would be helpful if it did while moving. The Warriors, the team that has always stood in the way of the Rockets, have been hugely successful because they don’t handle a stagnant attack. Steph Curry makes a pass and is not near halfway; he moves off the ball and makes himself available for a cut or a 3. He’s a constant threat. But Harden is forced to watch. The fact that Westbrook has only assisted Harden 35 times this season (and Paul has only done so 29 and 39 times in his two seasons in Houston) is shocking, and is a reflection of how little Harden moves into the Houston offense. The cut was a staple of Harden’s game when he was third wheel behind Kevin Durant and Westbrook in Oklahoma City. Why not bring it back?

It’s too late to change in these playoffs, though. Morey created the roster to play this style, with ballless fixed shooters such as PJ Tucker and Robert Covington. For a team that shoots a historical amount of 3, it’s a shame that no one on the roster other than Harden is a ground shooter. Westbrook got 25.8 percent off 3 this season. Covington and Eric Gordon, who was a real disaster in Round 1, shot under 32% for Houston. Everyone else shot close to the championship average, between 34.5 and 36.5 percent, with the exception of Ben McLemore, who shot 40 percent. They have ranked 24th overall in 3-point shooting this season, and only sixth in attack, after three consecutive years in the top two. Finding high-end shooters who also have the flexibility to switch screens in defense is tremendously difficult and expensive. The players Morey found were good, but not great.

The Rockets still have Game 7 to play, but given their performance against the Thunder, it’s hard to feel optimistic about their odds if they make it to the next round against the Lakers. Covington can’t stop any dribble penetration, let alone LeBron James. Steven Adams can’t jump on a thinly sliced ​​slice of cheese, while the Lakers have bouncy endings like Anthony Davis and JaVale McGee. Houston needs to shoot dead to stand a chance, and he probably doesn’t have the guns.

It could be another year wasted for Harden’s first time. Time is running out too. Harden and Westbrook can become free agents in 2022 if they choose to decline their player options for the 2022-23 season. That year, Harden will turn 33 and Westbrook will turn 34. Miles are piling up for Harden. Miles is injuries are adding up for Westbrook, who has undergone multiple surgeries and procedures for knee problems over the years. Most recently, he had a quadriceps problem that kept him sidelined for multiple seeding matches and the first four games of the OKC series. Players like Westbrook, who rely heavily on their explosive athleticism, don’t always age well.

With their mortality in mind, the entire Rockets organization must use this offseason to take a long look in the mirror and figure out who they want to be. Harden has reached great heights, but how else can he evolve? How can Westbrook fit in? Should D’Antoni remain the coach? Should Morey modify his system? What steps can be taken to improve the supporting cast? You discuss the importance of these problems in any way you like, but each of them must be solved. If the Rockets don’t change soon, they will be the next team to blow it up.