James Harden and Russell Westbrook are one of the hardest duos in the league to stop.
Together, they have the Rockets near the top of the standings, and you can expect them to be a fierce opponent in the post-season. But when it comes to a gameplan, Charles Barkley has an idea on how you beat them — simply let Harden and Russ score.
“Teams shouldn’t double Harden or Westbrook, defend them 1-on-1 and let them get their 35 each. That’s only 70.”
https://twitter.com/FadeawayWorld/status/1226118039864840192
The idea here seems to imply that the Rockets would have trouble scoring outside of Harden and Westbrook. If you let them do their thing (to a degree) and hold their teammates to minimal production, it could be enough to get the win.
Both Harden and Russ have seen a lot of slack for their playstyle over the years. Though they are among the league leaders in assists, they often demand the ball to work and are known to jack up tons of shots — shots that are often ill-advised.
Without a center, it might prove even more challenging to find some points outside of the two main stars. But, we’ll see if any teams decide to adopt the Charles Barkley mentality.
