harden

Morey’s Three Second Lane Violation

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Did you know who Daryl Morey was prior to last Saturday?  The Houston Rockets General Manager brought analytical concepts similar to MLB’s Money Ball approach to the Rockets organization over a decade ago.  Under his leadership the franchise has won plenty of games, acquired James Harden, but hasn’t won it all.

But, Morey’s tweet of support of the pro democracy movement/protests in Hong Kong, and vis a vis against The People’s Republic of China, threatened to take money from the NBA, it’s owners (specifically Rockets new owner Tillman Fertitta), and it’s players.  So the NBA, Fertitta, and Harden acted quickly.  They whistled a violation.  It’s the golden rule.  He who has the basketball makes the rules.  Morey was in the NBA lane (and out of his) for three long seconds.

In a statement Sunday, NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass called Morey’s tweet “regrettable” and said the league had “great respect for the history and culture of China.”  “The NBA can be used as a unifying force to bridge cultural divides and bring people together,” Bass said.

Fertitta tweeted that Morey’s tweet did not reflect the views of the NBA organization.  He went on to state that their presence in China is to promote the NBA internationally and that the Rockets were NOT a political organization.

Rockets superstar James Harden also pushed back on Morey’s statements. “We apologize. You know, we love China. We love playing there,” Harden said in Tokyo on Monday at practice, ESPN reported. “We go there once or twice a year. They show us the most important love.

“The most important love” actually might be “the most important money.”   You see a Chinese sportswear maker, two banks that sponsored the Rockets and a Chinese broadcaster that aired games bailed on the team, according to a Reuters report.

The sportswear maker, Li-Ning, expressed “strong condemnation” of Morey’s tweet, saying that it had suspended cooperation with the Rockets, and one of the banks, SPD, said it had halted marketing and publicity activities with them, Reuters reported.

So, yesterday, Morey under what we assume was intense pressure from the Chinese dictatorial government, China manufacturers and marketers, the NBA, his boss Fertitta, and his other boss James Harden, tweeted that he had contemplated his position on the matter a bit further. “I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event,” Morey said. “I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives.”

And so, in the real world span of time equivalent to a 24 second shot clock, the tweet heard round the world clanged off of the Pacific Rim.  For the NBA the only thing more important than defending this three point Morey shot was getting the rebound and starting a fast break the other way.

Last year Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner, addressed the media for a state of the NBA union.  He lamented the fact that the NBA had too few women in coaching positions and refereeing.  “There is no reason why we shouldn’t have women in 50% of these jobs,” he continued.  It’s about all about equal opportunity in the NBA.

A few years back, in his first as said commish, Silver strongly condemned the then LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling.  Sterling was caught on tape tossing around a few racial epitaphs.  Sterling got a lifetime ban for speaking in a hateful manner.  It’s all about equal opportunity in the NBA.

Ah, but over the weekend, social justice broke an ankle as capitalism pulled a crossed over dribble on it.  The NBA is just like many causes, movements, organizations, and individuals these days.  They align with all of these great ideals until those ideals don’t align with what’s in their best interest.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Or, not.  Alas, there really are no free throws in the NBA.

Fertitta made his fortune acquiring and expanding several restaurant chains.  Then, last year he acquired the Rockets.  His restaurant portfolio lacks a Chinese chain.  Perhaps he wants to put a full court press on Panda Express.  With all of the pandering that the NBA has done to appease the Chinese, it should be a slam dunk for him.

And, Morey has a far better understanding of money ball than ever before.

 

 

Harden’s Safe Space

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

James Harden just wants a fair chance.  In fact he said so himself after his Houston Rockets lost game one of the Western Conference Semifinals 104-100 to the Golden State Warriors.

“I mean, I just want a fair chance, man,” said Harden, who scored 35 points but was 9-of-28 from the floor and 4-of-16 from behind the 3-point line. “Call the game how it’s supposed to be called, and that’s it. And I’ll live with the results.”

Harden, who has led the league in free throws attempted and made in each of the past five seasons, gets fouled while shooting his three’s more, far more, than any other player.  It’s largely because his step-back jump shot is so difficult to contest.

Rockets head coach, Mike D’Antoni walked a fine line after the game.  He wanted the world to know that the referees told him that they missed some first half calls.  He faces a potential fine for criticizing officiating. “So, I mean, the response was they came in halftime and said they missed them. That’s what they told me. They missed four of them. That’s 12 foul shots. So be it. They’re trying to do the best they can do.”

Hopefully both Harden and D’Antoni realize that all of the calls that they are referencing above are “after the shot, safe landing space calls.”  The new foul rule is indeed a rule.  However, it doesn’t affect the accuracy of the shot.  The non calls certainly could have resulted in free throws for the career 86% free throw shooter.  Heck, maybe they would have been enough for the Rockets to win.

We wonder more, much more, about the 19 shots from the field that he missed.   And, 12 of those were either from or beyond the three-point line.  Make one more two point attempt and one more three point attempt and you win the game for sure, refs be damned.  Nine for 28 is 32% overall.  Four for 16 is 25% from three.  Phew.

So now the Rockets are down 1-0.  They’ve never beaten the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs during the Harden era.  Make no mistake about it, Harden feels the heat from that.  Now he feels like he needs to beat them and the referees.

And, its going to be tougher for him now.  After all, the refs are taking away his “safe space.”