You're going to need to find a better angle to drag the guy. FG% is a dead stat that means nothing to the goal of outscoring the opponents. Michael Jordan career playoff true shooting %: .568 James Harden 2019 playoff true shooting %: .567 (career .579) "Efficiency" was not Harden's shortcoming this year. Nor was Harden the Rockets' shortcoming.
No, I was talking about Lou's performance and salary. I meant it isn't fair to compare him to James, because the big difference is their salary.
All depends on context, though. "It was a pretty good season for us, but it's meaningless without a trophy" doesn't sound so bad. If the reporter has an anti-Harden bias (and many do), I can imagine choosing the words that but him in a bad light.
Lol at this thread... Harden put up 35, 7, 6, and 2 on 60% TS% with one of the best +/- of the playoffs against a team with four all-stars and possibly the best perimeter defense in the NBA. The Rockets continue to be the only team in the NBA that can threaten the Durant Warriors, even with the officiating on their side... And people want to point fingers. At the best ****ing player in the league, no less.
yeah so what? there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting him to be better at the end of games and the bigger ones at that. he's certainly capable of it, so those of us wanting him to be better, particularly in those situations is more of a standard he set for himself. you can post numbers all day but we've seen time and time again over and over, that the difference between moving on can come down to these types of moments. especially when you trickle down the best teams in the league.
I liked Harden this season but I have to say Harden is the Houston Rockets. The Rox live and die by him. It is a good thing and a bad thing. He is too big of a guy to share the spot lights with equally good guys, admittedly, Morey never brought in equally good players. I think the Rockets have a better chance at winning this if Harden becomes the second option, and a new Alpha is born. Harden adapts to playing with another Alpha who refuses to play second fiddle. Chris Paul had flashes of brillance but then he just deferred to Harden and shut down 30% of his production. And yes, Jimmy Butler has the Alpha mentality but his game is closer to a Beta, not as good as Harden's.
It's because we have some dumbass fans think winning a championship is easy. Oh, but KD went down! They forget that GSW still has the starting lineup that won 73 games and a title already.
What in god's name evidence exists that he can't share the spotlight? The man took a team with the whiniest, crybabiest "superstar" ever (Dwight Coward) to the WCF. Then he led one of the greatest teams ever [while healthy] after Chris Paul joined, and no one thought that would work. Hell, he went to the finals as a key piece of a team where he was the third option behind Westbroke and Durant. How has anyone shown an ability to share the spotlight better than Harden? Just because he likes to break defenders down 1-on-1 doesn't mean he can't play with other superstars. Durant and LeBron do the same thing. And lol at blaming Harden for Chris Paul's worthlessness. He didn't "shut down" his production because of Harden. He sucked, plain and simple. This wasn't the Paul we saw last year. What types of moments? The moments where everyone seems to be expecting one all-star to outshine four? The fact is it's incredible we've even gotten as close to beating the warriors as we have each of the last two years, even after Paul went down, and Harden is 75% of the reason that's happened. How much can you ask one guy to do before he just doesn't have anything left? Does no one remember that Chris Paul failed to show up for 4.5 of these games? My god sports fans are mind-numbing.
There are only a handful of superstars. Chris Paul wasn't a superstar when he was traded here. This team needed another superstar bad. Especially now that we know Harden cannot get by a Durantless GSW on his own.
Probably true... and that's kind of my point. The Rockets just didn't have enough talent, and that's not on James Harden. Even Michael Jordan would not have carried this squad past those Warriors in Harden's stead. It's a testament to Harden's talent that the Rockets came as close as they did.
uhh game 5 and 6 in no way did he have to outshine 4 all stars. he's more than capable of taking a team to a W in 12 minutes when you just need to win a quarter. he's just as capable of what curry or klay did. Unless you think he's not on their level. he's also more than capable of taking a team to a W when guys are in foul trouble and curry has 0 pts in one entire half. stop with this general beating 4 all stars nonsense. game 5 and 6 is what I'm addressing and what others are wanting from harden. you're one of those that seems just fixated on thinking its all cp3's fault just so harden shouldn't get any criticism at all. cp3 showed up for game 6 when their backs were against the wall? what then. The series was tied going into 5. That's as good as it gets and that was all with KD. again there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting him to be better because he can be in those situations. It's not like this is the first time he's shown to underwhelm in these types of moments and that's the point.
It isn't anything conclusive with my comment on Harden sharing spot lights. The longer he is that loner on that team the longer he is used to playing alone, getting unreal stats............ There is a reason why GSW play the way they play, yes, they have multiple Allstars but they are also accustomed to playing with each other for 5 or more years. They make unreal passes, not just Donkey, everyone. They run for each other.
Who are these equally good players we could have realistically acquired? Equally good as Harden means top 5 in the league.
I was more looking into the future as Fertitta said he is doing whatever it takes.....glimpsing into the future more like a future 3 eyed raven. I still can't believe Morey started out his quest for the 2nd and 3rd star by selecting Jeremy Lin, Terrence Williams and Royce White.
I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say. Again, Harden made it work with Paul last year. This year, too, until Paul pulled his vanishing act in the playoffs. Paul was a superstar caliber player up until this season, and they got along fine. What makes you think Harden wouldn't feed off of Stephen Curry? They would tear up the league together. Harden is absolutely on their level. Beyond it. But you see how you just said "Curry and Klay"? The Rockets didn't have Harden "and" anyone, except for some of game 6. Replace Paul and Capela with Klay and Green those last two games, and watch what happens. That's still a 3-all-star team that won 73 games. If Paul makes a couple of those 3s in the 2nd half, maybe he keeps the defense a lil more honest, and they can't send three guys at James every 4th Q possession.
it says curry or klay. not and. if you're capable of beating them twice in a row with KD, you're more than capable of beating them without. It didn't happen. guys need to be better, and yes that includes harden. he isn't immune to fault.
lol, ok, there was no Harden "or" anyone else, either. Maybe if Paul makes a couple of those 3s in the 2nd half, he keeps the defense a lil more honest, and they can't send three guys at James every 4th Q possession. But nah, goose egg.
Sure but Curry has to be willing to come down here, or Harden up there. GSW has the better system for now, actually for years now.
