Someone's Gotta Be the Bad Guy

If there’s one thing going for the Rockets heading into tonight’s Western Conference Finals match-up against the Warriors, it’s that they can get under their opponent’s skin. They have built a reputation outside of Houston for being unlikeable. It comes from a multitude of reasons- some fair and some not.

The first is Dwight Howard. I’ll admit, I wasn’t crazy about him during the end of his Magic run. He seemed entitled and hadn’t progressed his game to it should have been after almost eight years in the league. He threw Stan Van Gundy under the bus, and treated most situations like a joke. When he went to the Lakers, I didn’t feel any dislike. Just disappointment. He wasn’t half the player he was back in 2009 when he led his Magic to the Finals (a 4-0 sweep courtesy of the Lakers). He was constantly hurt or playing poorly.

Now after almost two seasons in Houston, Howard still has a reputation for being not liked around the league. Gary Payton commented on it back in November:

 “I think he’s disliked by a lot of players,” Payton said. “What Dwight does is, you know you see all the smiles and all the antics, that is getting on player’s nerves. To get this guy, Kevin Durant, to do what he did, you know it’s starting to become a problem with players, because Kevin Durant doesn’t really talk to anybody … [Durant] goes at people that are fake with stuff. Only fake guys.”

To be fair to Dwight, Durant did seem on edge all season. Injuries to OKC on top of under-performing made the 2014 NBA MVP more volatile than usual. The slightest of critiques seemed to set him off, whether from players on court such as Dwight- or the media asking him questions. But the fact remains that Dwight apparently did something to draw the ire of one of the league’s most respected players.

Or it’s possible Patrick Beverley’s shot on Russell Westbrook from the 2013 playoffs was in the back of Durant’s head at the time, too.

Another reason for the hate on Houston? James Harden.

Harden has the ability to slice up a defense on any given night. His handles are treacherous. His shot is deadly. And his ability to get in the lane and draw fouls is mesmerizing. Or totally the worst thing ever- depending how you look at it. While a player such as Durant gets praised for his ability to create contact and shoot a high number of free throws, Harden gets slammed for it by almost everyone. Almost.

Back in November, Doc Rivers expressed high praise for Harden’s abilities to get to the line:

"He’s an expert at it. He actually does get fouled on most of them. He throws those arms up. It’s funny, in the playoffs teams are really aware of it and he doesn’t get those calls. It’s interesting how that changes to me, but it’s hard. It’s hard to prepare for. He’s coming at you. You want to stop him. He’s good at it. He’s as good of a guard as I can remember. Grant Hill, if you remember, did it a lot with cuts, the way he would cut into you and run into you and throw his arms up. Very few guys with the ball do that as well as him and not lose the ball. It’s amazing.”

But where did this urge to create contact come from? Harden himself? Surprisingly, no. It came from his high-school coach on a bet:

“To turn Harden from a sniper into a driver, Pera put him through daily X-out drills, in which Harden had to convert eight straight layups while Pera punished him with an arm pad. They made a standing bet: If Harden shot more than six free throws in a game, Pera owed him a hamburger; if Harden shot fewer than six, he owed Pera sprints. Harden discovered ways to contort his limbs through and around defenders, collecting whistles and patties.”

Whether you love it or hate it, it gets results. Harden averaged 8.8 free throws made a game, and 10.2 attempted. It wasn’t just flopping as some suggested. It’s an aspect of the game opponents have to plan for and attempt to mitigate it. And when Harden doesn’t get a call? He whines…just like literally every other player in the league. It’s not solely a Harden thing. It’s the culture of today’s NBA.

But a chief complaint the last couple of years for Houston wasn’t Howard or Harden. It all seemed to begin with the aforementioned Beverley hit on Westbrook. It placed a spotlight on him, and his aggressive nature on defense was seen as annoying and overwhelming. What’s the alternate option? Not trying on defense? Playing loosely?

While others seemed to express disdain for it, Beverley capitalized on it- dubbing himself Mr. 94 Feet. As in, he covers you the entire way down the floor from end to end.

A common gripe amongst NBA fans is that head coach Kevin McHale simply wasn’t good enough to be a head coach. His small sample size in Minnesota was a failure, and he hadn’t made much headway as head coach of the Rockets. McHale’s been seen as not having the skills of to match up with the likes of Greg Popovich, Doc Rivers or Steve Kerr. Yet here he is. Regardless of whether or not Houston moves on to the NBA Finals, McHale has overachieved and adapted to an ever-changing scenery. His move to keep Harden on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game 6 against the Clippers might have been his finest as Rockets’ head coach.

One of the newest reasons to dislike Houston? They got who many perceived as an underachieving player (Josh Smith) for almost nothing back in December. His time in Detroit was largely forgettable, and many saw it as a cash grab for Smith with little effort put forth. He took many bad shots, especially from three point land. Never mind the fact that Joe Dumars should have never made the move in the first place. While many doubted Smith’s abilities and chances to transition to Houston’s style, the former AAU teammate of Howard has fit in nicely. Now the ire isn’t from his lack of effort, but the unexplainable successful nature of his game- most recently against the Clippers.

Smith told the Houston Chronicle that Houston won’t shy away from getting physical if need be.

 “I mean, it’s the postseason. So I don’t think at this point none of the teams are going to be playing passive. It’s time to lace the shoes up, heighten the shorts up a little higher and get after it a little bit. I expect the players dictating these games, as deep as the postseason is right now. I look forward to a very competitive series.”

Regardless of the team’s reputation prior to this series against the 67-15 Golden State Warriors, Houston had an uphill battle to gain any groundswell of support. The Warriors are an excellent team- fun and flashy. Unlike the Suns of Steve Nash (7 Seconds or Less), they have substance to their style. They are dazzling, deadly, and deep. They don’t just have two studs (Curry and Thompson) who can kill you behind the arc. They can go big when it matters (Maurice Speights, David Lee, Andrew Bogut). But like Houston, they can adapt to small ball as well, using Harrison Barnes and Draymond Greene as stretch fours. Shaun Livingston can be a nightmare as a 6’7″ point guard on defense, as well as his vision on offense. Andre Iguodala is no slouch either, providing an x-factor for Golden State.

 The Rockets and Warriors already have a little history, stemming back from November:

“I didn’t bump into him,” Ariza said. “I was running and he just turned into me. That was it.”

Maybe the final reason is because Houston simply shouldn’t be here. After last summer’s multiple whiffs in free agency, getting Trevor Ariza was viewed as underwhelming for a team with a GM obsessed with star-finding. Houston shouldn’t have been able to finish second in the West, win their division.They shouldn’t have been able to seamlessly transition Smith, Corey Brewer and Pablo Prigioni. But they did.

But they sure as hell shouldn’t have been able to beat the Clippers after being down 3-1, right? But they did.

Harden and Howard have been seen as not being leaders and not being able to win an NBA Championship. And now that they are facing the most talented team in the NBA? I don’t see that perception changing.

Every story needs a hero and a villain. Viewers need a side to  pull for, and side to seethe. That's what gets ratings. Not that the Rockets mind. They seem to play better with a chip on their shoulder and their backs against the wall.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know @SeanNeutron.