[Official Thread] Media/Player Reaction to James Harden 2019-2020

you hit the nail on the head

 

Do disagree with the view that players are baiting refs more and more for foul calls, and that this is an actual league-wide trend that the league would be better off trying to fix?

I’m trying to understand if you disagree with what he is saying, or you disagree with him saying it because you think its disingenuous. Two different things.

 

so Luka publicly admitted that he learnt from Harden.
casual fans still hate Harden
casual fans still love Luka
what's going on

 

James Harden is the Floyd Mayweather of basketball. He's not fooling anyone, he's playing within the offensive rules better than anyone. The problem is this is not the basketball people want to see. Fine, change the rules, he, and the Rockets, would dominate those new rules.

I watch the games and the funny thing is Westbrook gets more phantom calls than Harden. It's just Harden drives in a very slow boring way. He slow dribbles in and holds his arms out waiting for people to hack his arms. He literally gets fouled more than everyone else. This wouldn't happen in a pickup game but that's partially because no one else drives that way which would lead to them getting hacked. The only non-basketball play Harden has in his bag is when he drives and slides his arm under a player with their arms down and to their sides but he rarely gets free throws from that, definitely not on a nightly basis.

Most of the non-paint fouls in an nba game would be laughed at in a pickup game. I would like to see some rules changes that added more balance to the play in basketball but it needs to be called completely the same each game and if a particular player masters those rules then people need to accept it.

 

Get that crap outta here... wth Luka know about Luka?

 

One little voice crying in the ESPN wilderness ...

 

if Harden isn’t in your top 2 for MVP then u should be banned from talking basketball

U can call me biased, but Harden should be the frontrunner at this point. If anybody’s got something different to say about that, they can come see me. I'm right here in H-Town. If you've got an issue with that, come see me. I'm about that. Big truss. James Harden, MVP, yes sir.

 

Nice hedge saying Top 2, because we all know the media still will go Giannis

 

Giannis has a legitimate case. He's the only one though outside of Harden.

 

His case was just as legitimate as last season.

As in not so much.

Harden hands down MVP last year and so far this season, it's not even close.

 

It's actually very close if you are desensitized to the video game numbers Harden has put up this season and the seasons prior to this one. It won't matter if he averages 50ppg, he's likely not getting the award. If such, you might be inclined to go with the narrative of best player on best team or emerging star on emerging playoff team.

Of course, this can be switched if a new face puts up same said video game numbers next year, since the media hasn't seen X player perform at such heights.

Bottom line, MVP is a media driven, league marketing tool that I could care less about. Harden's status was validated with one MVP. His historical status will only be cemented with rings, not more media awards.

 

Harden has won one MVP, the one year his team had the best record in the league.

The MVP will almost always go to the player putting up ridiculous numbers on a 1 seed, if there’s only one such candidate.

That rule was true last year, and it’s true again this year. If the Rockets were a 1 seed, he actually would have a pretty good shot at winning it.

 

Giannis is a legit (#2) MVP candidate. I think that guy was taking a swipe at all of the chuckleheads out there who have someone other than those two in their top two.

Of course, all the chuckleheads have Giannis, so he is pretty much calling out all the Harden haters. Sadly, they are legion, and they are dumb. We should be pitying those unfortunate souls for having to go through life with such hatred, bitterness or sheer stupidity leading them.

 

Being desensitized to video game production is your reason to discredit Harden over Giannis?

Video game.production should emphasize and underline that Harden's historic season is more deserving. Bucks best record is team record, Bucks have proven they can win without Giannis. Rockets cannot win without Harden.

Rockets will take 2nd seed in deeper West, if not 1st.

West boasts 4 legit MVP candidates: Harden, Lebron, Luka, AD

Kawhi and PG13 will also get love before seasons end. Other than Giannis, no player in East is deserving.

But I agree that MVP is media driven and they push the narrative to support their predetermined winner.

 

Some good 76er player/coach quotes in here.

 

Beard finna get 1st in Players' MVP again.

 

Morey should get Fatheads to make 10 x 10 vinyl posters of this, sneak into ESPN's offices and plaster this on every blank wall he can find.