i never said it doesn't wipe away what they did during the regular season. ****, im still on board with harden being mvp for what he did during the regular season. but just like falcons fans are wondering if they'll ever win the big one with matt ryan, rockets fans are wondering the same thing with harden.
Man don't you get it? This city will NEVER win anything until we get a GOAT like Jordan. **** being satisfied with 55 wins, an MVP candidate, and a playoff win, we need to stop at NOTHING to get the next JORDAN.
LOL. So you can't find one person to say that he even plays "average" on the defensive end? If someone gets a steal every now and then and an announcer says "great steal," it doesn't mean that he is God's gift to defense...
Realize, also, I never once mentioned defense. You can continue to try and bait me into a discussion about that when my point was ALWAYS about how superstar players need help. Period. End of story. You are the one comparing Jordan's defense to Harden's. I never cared to. My point was that superstar players need help. Harden doesn't have any. If he had 2 all-stars and we still lost...sure... But you continue to attack that strawman though, it's a battle you're winning! Keep at it!
Reggie Miller can ooze all he wants. It doesn't change the fact that Aldridge continually got open looks when Harden guarded him. There's nothing wrong with that.....it's expected due to Aldridge's height advantage.
I would never compare Haren's defense with Jordan's. One actually played it. That'd be like comparing Bobby Fischer and Javele McGee in chess...
Why would all-stars want to join Harden knowing that they'd have to defer to him offensively and compensate for him defensively?
I don't need to vindicate my opinions by getting others to agree with me. I don't know what you expect me to do, search old gamecasts for soundbites of people saying Harden is average at defense? Yeah, I'm sure this has NEVER been uttered. Clearly the media and public opinion is that Harden sucks on defense, but from what I watched and what the numbers said was he was at least average this year. Not good, not great. Not a plus defensively. But passable, and thats all it takes. It's a scoring league - are you trying to argue Steph sucks? What is your angle? Once again, this game had NOTHING to do with Harden's defense.
LOL. Well you just keep riding the pony that says James plays anywhere near acceptable defense and I'll just live in the real world. Why do you think he's playing post-defense in the first place??? Delusional nonsense.
Go read the player tribune articles by Gordon and Ariza to see if players enjoy playing with Harden. Harden elevated pretty much everyone on this team to a career season this year, you act like he is a RWB-esque black-hole offensively when he led the league in assists and orchestrated a top-10 offense all time.
Once again, this wasn't even my point. Which is understandable (although for the Falcons all they had to do was run the ball for a FG to win...I'd blame the coach a lot too) but for the Rockets, I can understand that. It's unlikely we ever win with Harden having so much usage, that's why I'm saying, he needs a Pippen more than anything.
Because were playing small ball with four guards and Ryan Anderson at center a lot of the time... someone's gotta guard the big-guys and Harden is pretty strong and pretty good at defending the post. Show me one instance where Harden's defense was the difference in a playoff game this season... Wait, no, no, find someone who AGREES with you on this. I'm waiting.
Players respect Harden a ton more than fans do, that's one thing I've learned if I've learned anything about perception when it comes to Harden. Pop said he's the only guy he even plans against in the Regular season...
Gordon and Ariza aren't all-stars, and their words won't resonate with all-stars. Also, look at Anderson and Gordon's stats from prior years. This wasn't a "career season" for them. And Ariza's best season was his last year in Washington.
Never once did I claim Harden is an even passable career defender, I'm talking strictly this year? And that wasn't my question. Man, can you not find one person to agree with you? SAD!
And then quit..... That pretty much negates all of the great things prior to that. That's like studying hard for a test to get into the school of your choice and then when they hand you the scantron, you just randomly fill in bubbles without reading any of the questions....makes no sense at all to put in that hard work just to quit when it actually matters. And he does this every year..... There is a pattern.....time for people to acknowledge it and stop defending this dude. Some people here are defending him more than he would for his own damn self. Ain't that some ****?
I think that's just lip service. Actions speak louder than words, and no elite player seems interested in playing with Harden. IIRC, Harden and Durant are best friends, and Durant wouldn't even take a meeting with the Rockets.
