J.B. Bickerstaff may be serving on an interim capacity, but he does know when the team is performing well and when they are not.
Apparently, he saw the latter in Houston Rockets in their match against the New Orleans Pelicans wherein they lost after a big win over powerhouse San Antonio (Spurs) on Christmas Day.
From being a cohesive unit, something was a bit off with the Rockets it seemed that some players were not on the same page. Even though he did not single out the player, the consensus is that he was referring to James Harden.
Everyone knows that Harden is an exceptional player, although he has hardly been the same guy who broke out after years of playing under the shadows of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbook for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The bearded one had shown his true worth, but so far this season, he has been inconsistent. Individually, he has been unstoppable and is without doubt one of the players who belong up with the elite.
But after an interesting breakdown made by CBS, the Harden issue makes sense and somehow ties up with the woes that Bickerstaff was talking about.
Actually, it is something that has been going on for quite some time now even if management will not open their eyes to it. On the court, Harden has become pampered and his efforts of doing the "other'' stuff for the game of basketball has been absent.
"Our priorities need to be clear and I need to do a better job of playing the people whose priorities are clear," said Bickerstaff via ClutchFans.net.
In all, it is about doing the right things and treating the game the way it should be. Wins are made when everyone is on the same page and understands the things (little or small) they have to do for the whole cause.
Harden may (or may not) be the sole player being referred to; but as long as the Rockets continue to stay this way, don't expect the team to improve even with a proven bench tactician. The problem truly lies from within.
