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Houston Rockets: 5 adjustments for Game 3 vs. the San Antonio Spurs

By Frank Urbina

May 3, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Get James Harden going

I know, I know. Easier said than done.

After all, he’s facing a Popovich-coached team, as well as the best perimeter defender the league has to offer in Kawhi Leonard. It’s also been reported that Harden is playing through a left hip ailment, which certainly doesn’t help matters.

Still, D’Antoni has to find a way to get his superstar shooting guard going. Against the Spurs, Harden’s shooting at a miserable 9-for-30 clip overall, including 5-for-17 from three.

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    • Furthermore, he’s attempted merely 11 free throws in both games combined, which is very un-Harden-like. In their previous series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he matched (or topped) that total in four of the five outings.

    Yes, San Antonio is excellent at defending without fouling (seventh in the NBA in opponent free throw attempt rate), but during their four regular season matchups, Harden still averaged nine shots from the foul line per contest against them.

    He can get to the line against anyone, he just needs to be put in better situations and be a touch more aggressive looking for calls. (People may hate that about his skill set, but I find it astounding; his ability to get calls is special.)

    Moreover, though his three-point shooting has been poor against San Antonio, he’s not getting great looks, either. Through two games, Harden has shot one wide open three in 65 minutes of action (per NBA.com). For a guy that converted a healthy 39.0 percent on such looks during the regular season, they need to find him more of those opportunities.

    One way to do so could be by playing him off the ball a bit more, and letting Patrick Beverly, Eric Gordon or Lou Williams take turns distributing.

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