Are our superstars better than Portland's superstars?

I picked the Rox to win the series because I thought we had the better duo. Harden has really been disappointing the first two games. I truly feel this team's overall philosophy and lack of coaching is what is being exposed and the reason why they are 0-2 going back to Portland. It hasn't help that Harden has sucked, but if some minor adjustments were made, I'm positive Rox would not be down 0-2.

 

Knee jerk thread.

In fact, this thread wouldn't even be made if:

- Harden had shown up in one or both games
- Aldridge didn't go for 40+, both games.

 

Sounds like Their stars are better than ours.

Harden was superstar on offense much of the season, but he is embarrassingly bad on defense almost all the time.

Dwight can still play, but he's a bad fit for the Rockets. We have 20 million dollars tied up in a player that doesn't fit with our run and gun, no defense playing team. Asik gives us the defense and rebounding we need for 8 million per year.

 

I love Ames Haren, but there are probably three reasons Presti gave him away for prospects.

In order:
1. $$$.
2. his playoff performance for OKC.
3. Defensive outlook.

For those saying they feel bad for Dwight, oh man do I ever feel that. He's balling.

 

So you're saying the thread questioning whether James Harden and Dwight Howard's superstardom wouldn't be made if Lillard and Aldridge were not outperforming them both in the most crucial time of the year?

Superstars are made in the playoffs, not in the regular season.

 

Better for 2 games is not the same thing as better for the duration of their contracts

 

Lillard and Aldridge. Easy. Pretty sure this series will prove that without a doubt.

 

good stuff turkey.

 

You're playing the same team for at least four games in any given series. You're playing 82 games over the course of the regular season. You can't compare a small sample of games to the regular season. If "superstars are made in the playoffs," what's the point of the numerous awards tabulated at the end of the regular season, like MVP / DPOY / MIP, etc? Why not just award everything as the Finals conclude, to players on playoff teams?

Just because you get to play more games doesn't detract from how good you've been. Is Anthony Davis not a superstar because he isn't playing right now? Does Goran not deserve anything because his team happened to be 9th in the WC?

Coaching also has a lot to do with the successes of the other team - if McHale was actually a good coach, I doubt LMA would have gone off as he did the second game. Actual offensive plays, rather than freeballing out there, would also have been beneficial to the team as a whole.

Harden has been a zero for both games. Howard has been awesome. Aldridge has been awesome. Lillard was great the first game, and not so great the second.

The point is, Aldridge torched our team in the regular season - but so did Harden. And for whatever mental reason, Harden has checked out. I'm fully expecting Harden to bounce back and be the offensive juggernaut he's been for 82 games. LMA might go off for 30+/40+ again in this series, but I think our team will be ready to play. Call it blind faith.

tl;dr? The regular season isn't irrelevant in determining the worth of a player. Coaching is under a stronger microscope in the postseason. Harden WILL bounce back. HAVE BLIND FAITH!

 

Wow. Knee jerk city. We will laugh at this in a few years.

 

but not this year!

 

Alpha, I was thinking the same thing. I even thought he was being sarcastic, at least I hope he was.

 

Wait... we have TWO SUPERSTARS?

 

J Sizzle, 2 years ago when we first got Harden I voiced some criticisms of him which you dismissed and said wait a couple of years into his contract when he's older and more mature. Well now it's 2 years later.

 

Harden is supposed to be the best player on the court, but so far he looks to be about the worst.

 

Am I the only one that thinks LMA is taking absurdly inefficient shots and is simply on a hot streak that will eventually revert to the norm? I mean his highlight real is like 60% fade away hand in his face long 2s. Doesn't feel sustainable, and when they fall it takes away our transition offense and it lets Portland get set on D.

I think 2-0 will be nearly impossible to overcome against an equal team with an extra home game, but I do think we've been unlucky.

 

I still don't fully buy into LMA. I think he is having a career year and I think the Rockets blow at guarding stretch 4's. The Blazers aren't going anywhere with Aldridge as their best player, which just makes it all the more sad and disgusting we're losing to them.

If Harden was playing the way we know he can or if the refs weren't total trash or if the coaching didn't blow... if even ONE of those things went our way... then we'd be 2-0 instead of 0-2.

Unfortunately all those things combined = 0-2 against a pretender.

 

Last year w/ Asik playing well, i thought this team just need a PF and we're set to go and that Asik is the foundation of our defense and a big man inside. Maybe it rings true after this series seeing that we just need someone like Aldridge.

 

The problem comes when does he revert to the mean? Next game? next series? 10 games? 20? eventually sure, but sometimes people get hot for an extended period, there's no real hard and fast rule as to what that mean is. No jumpshooter in nba history has ever averaged 60%, but that doesn't stop them doing it for 5 or 6 games.

 

I would like to think those shots aren't sustainable. For our sake they better not be.

First off Harden isn't a superstar, he's just a star, but in the two games he's played like a d-leaguer. Mr. 14-47.