1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Harden: "I thought winning was the most important thing"

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Clutch, Apr 9, 2017.

  1. Clutch

    Clutch Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 1999
    Messages:
    22,643
    Likes Received:
    31,814


    Harden didn't say anything wrong here... what he said is actually right. But I think it's going to be used as bulletin board material.
     
    adw, RocketWalta, Stormy1234 and 7 others like this.
  2. J Sizzle

    J Sizzle Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2012
    Messages:
    43,476
    Likes Received:
    29,488
    Harden is naive

    The most important thing is being liked by the media/fans and having the narrative on your side.
     
    J.R., Sweet Lou 4 2, cbs1507 and 7 others like this.
  3. ChumpCity

    ChumpCity Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2009
    Messages:
    840
    Likes Received:
    240
    Love the honesty from James. And truth.

    They will need more than bulletin board material though!!
     
  4. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2006
    Messages:
    28,028
    Likes Received:
    21,119
    It is. Gotta beat down OKC.
     
    Ramo$e likes this.
  5. blahblehblah

    blahblehblah Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    4,689
    Likes Received:
    3,832
    if winning was the most important thing, Kawhi would be the MVP this season or Durant if he hadn't gotten injured.
     
    basketballholic and Purvis2Short like this.
  6. blahblehblah

    blahblehblah Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    4,689
    Likes Received:
    3,832
    Kawhi has the best case if winning is the most important factor and putting up great stats the second leading factor.

    Harden has the best case if both stats and winning are equally important with the slight edge to stats and exceeding expectations.

    Westbrook has the best case if its mostly about stats, then narrative and historic achievement along with clutch performance.
     
    #6 blahblehblah, Apr 9, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2017
  7. rocketman12

    rocketman12 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2008
    Messages:
    1,564
    Likes Received:
    703
    So then he agrees about finishing second to Curry in 2015?
     
    kjayp likes this.
  8. split41

    split41 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,504
    Likes Received:
    343
    Probably why he thinks winning is more important :p

    2015: "I busted my ass carrying the team on my back, we got second seed and I put up great stats (better than curry), but Curry got the MVP, because he won more? Hmmm, I guess winning is the most important thing in the MVP race"

    2017: "I busted my ass carrying the team on my back, we have the third best record in the league, and I put up historical stats (slightly less rebs and points than westbrook), but they're going to give Westbrook the MVP, because he averaged a triple double? I thought winning was the most important thing?"
     
  9. arabrocket

    arabrocket Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2009
    Messages:
    3,487
    Likes Received:
    1,926
    Nah, Spurs were predicted to be a contender and a top tier team with pops being the best coach in the league in an already established system, Harden Rockets were predicted to barely making the playoffs but had them the 3rd best record in the league with a new coach, new system , new position to adjust to while leading the league in assists, , new line up that wasn't guaranteed to click. Instead, he carried the Rockets to the 3rd best record in the entire league.
     
  10. ipaman

    ipaman Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2002
    Messages:
    13,020
    Likes Received:
    7,784
    Great!!!, Russ will now try and prove a point and brick his team out of the playoffs.
     
    Htownballer38 and juanm34 like this.
  11. split41

    split41 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,504
    Likes Received:
    343
    Kawhi plays with Aldridge, Gasol, and a bunch of other former all-stars or HOFers, but they all give up their stats a bit for the benefit of the team. Kawhi is not a one-man show. That hurts his case. You take Kawhi off the roster, the spurs are still probably a top 4 seed in the west. Take Harden off the rockets and this board would talking about draft prospects instead of championship prospects.
     
  12. ipaman

    ipaman Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2002
    Messages:
    13,020
    Likes Received:
    7,784
    Popovich factor makes it very difficult for a Spur to win MVP.
     
  13. Ramo$e

    Ramo$e Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2016
    Messages:
    3,229
    Likes Received:
    2,606
    If Kawhi was out this year how bad would the Spurs be? They have been this good for a long time with or without Kawhi. We know who is more available well at least I do. James Harden took this team from a consistent .500 team to the 3rd best record in the NBA. Westbrook is great too but besides breaking the triple double record this season James Harden has done everything that Westbrook is doing now, scoring alot, hitting clutch shots, and probably more. Why punish James Harden because all of a sudden Westbrook is finally catching on, at the same time hes the media darling because KD left him in OKC?

    Westbrook is awesome he's just not my Most Valued Player.
     
    feelgoodjones and Jayzers_100 like this.
  14. Zboy

    Zboy Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2002
    Messages:
    27,234
    Likes Received:
    21,955
    He just added extra pressure on himself and the team to win the series against OKC with those comments.

    They better..

    Or else....

    They be coming....

    [​IMG]
     
    Ramo$e likes this.
  15. lnchan

    lnchan Sugar Land Leonard

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2010
    Messages:
    8,049
    Likes Received:
    10,844
    THE PROPHECY MUST BE FULFILLED

    (starts at the relevant part)

     
  16. BigTex

    BigTex Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    3,118
    Likes Received:
    4,018
    Kawhi has also sat out 7 Wins
     
  17. oogie boogie

    oogie boogie Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2010
    Messages:
    2,750
    Likes Received:
    1,478
    Nah, it would be Curry but since voter fatigue exists it would be a toss up between Harden and Kawhi. I know the Spurs have like 62 wins or something, but last time I checked the Spurs are 7-1 without Kawhi this season which means that Kawhi only has about 55 wins under his belt individually. That's only 2 more than Harden. Although, it does favor Kawhi at the same time since it means that Leonard has won more games in less games played which is freaking impressive.

    I don't like this answer from Harden. It's a bit of a loaded question. He believes he's the best player on the world, and last time he lost was because he felt that Curry wasn't better but had a better team record. If he's going to lose it to anyone then it's going to have to be Curry, Durant, or Kawhi in his mind. They have better records. He may personally feel like he's better than them all, but if we follow the script from the last two seasons: winning matters. In 2015 the Dubs won 67 games, so James finished in 2nd. In 2016 Houston only won 41 games so he got left off the All-NBA team. He was taught that in order to get rewarded you need to win. Stats and teammates be damned.

    In his mind he's always going to think he's having the best season even if Westbrook is averaging video game numbers. I don't think James fully comprehends how a guy on a worse team with a very mediocre record will win the MVP. Think about it.

    "I won 41 games and for sure was at least one of the top 5 players in the league, but didn't make a single All-NBA team. Now he's going to win the MVP on a team that at the very best is going to win 6 more games than I did last season? How does that even work? "

    It's very valid reasoning from James, but he still shouldn't have said it. I don't know how he could have answered after hearing the question. Almost impossible without it being spinned in a bad way.
     
    #17 oogie boogie, Apr 9, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2017
  18. iNoseBleedRed

    iNoseBleedRed Member

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2013
    Messages:
    2,407
    Likes Received:
    2,445
    The thing is that we've only won 8 games more than the thunder.
     
  19. Daddy Long Legs

    Daddy Long Legs H- Town Harden

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2016
    Messages:
    10,984
    Likes Received:
    13,588
    right, but why does it matter what you think?
     
    juanm34 likes this.
  20. don grahamleone

    don grahamleone Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2001
    Messages:
    23,313
    Likes Received:
    33,289
    James, it's not how many games you win, it's what you do when you win 46-48 games that really matters. If they take your trophy, just take it back in the first round. All will not be forgiven, but all will be remembered by those that watch. No one talks about David Robinson as this unbelievable MVP. They talk about how the MVP that year got dominated by a better player. Let Dream be your example.
     
    adw, TheresTheDagger, Wapzoe and 11 others like this.

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now