Barkley is an idiot, so it doesn't really matter what he says. He probably said it as a rationalization of his dig at Morey anyway -- the Rockets aren't this good despite not having Howard because of analytics, but because of the singular talents of MVP James Harden. That doesn't take into account the large number of free throws Harden takes. But, WinkFan's stat does take care of that:
it was his way saying the Rockets are sooooo bad that its a miracle James Harden has them in home court position in the playoffs
Nice to hear something make sense from Charles Barkley. The others are denying how being top 3 in the West is extremely difficult without Dwight.
Thanks for the Vid! idk why everyone is trashing Barkley this time, he was 100% right....This thread should be about Shaq spouting nonsense regardless of what Barkley has said in the past...Barkley was the only one defending Harden
James Harden is the MVP right now. There is really no argument in my opinion. Obviously I am a Rockets homer but even if I wasn't, I would still consider Harden the MVP up to this point in the year. He has single-handedly kept the Rockets in 3rd place in the West. GSW has Curry, Thompson, Green, Barnes among others to help him. Plus look at the assist and rebounds Harden has every game.
Well, I'd disagree with his statement, but if we want to stick with it, Thompson is just a 2 guard and does that well. Harden is an everything. Mostly a 1 this season and can even play all the way down to a 4 in a small lineup. Hell, he could probably be a 5 like Magic in his first Finals if he wanted to. Thompson is a highly competent member of the Warriors. Harden IS the Rockets. MVP.
Ernie Johnson has constantly salivated over Steph Curry on every single show he has been on and talks about Harden's lack of defense, I actually dislike him more than anyone else on that panel because people actually think he's credible.
[Rant] Yet, IMO i'm almost convinced Harden won't win it because there is an apparent Media bias surrounding Russell Westbrook and LeBron James. Harden could get a triple-dub and carry the team on his back like always, but you won't see anyone in the media buzzing about it, because quite frankly he does it all the time. Westbrook and LeBron could miss 40 shots, but if they get a triple-dub, you would see a BR article 5 minutes later claiming how they are the greatest players of all time. In fact, CNN has even linked to a LeBron James MVP article! What the Hell! I understand these guys are playing well, but they aren't just playing by themselves out there. Westbrook has Canter, Durant, and Ibaka. LeBron has Irving and Love. Harden has nothing right now, not even Dwight. Yet he is still carrying this team, hence why he deserves the MVP. But, Cav and OKC fans don't understand this concept. They trash our starting lineup besides Harden without realizing that they are only justifying Harden's case for MVP. He put's up monster numbers with less talent around him and has us in contention for playoff success in the brutal West.
It will be a while before the media narratives against Harden fully die down. Harden's been so consistently dominant that they're largely forced to recognize what he's doing, but there are still a few out there like Shaq who still think that Youtube video defines Harden.
In my opinion, Chuck can say the Rockets are the best team in the NBA and it still wouldnt matter to me. Mostly anything he says is irrelevant, and this is someone who thought Chuck was probably the funniet guy in that show.
Why is it that this narrative is only applied to the 2-guard position? You never hear about who's the best 2-way point guard, or the best 2-way SF/PF/C. It's so dumb.
It still baffles me that anybody actually gives a crap about those clowns say. Make your own opinions people, quit depending on the morons on tv sports shows to tell you what to think. Yeah, Barkley and Shaq were damn good players at one time, it doesnt mean they actually have a damn clue about what is happening in today's game. They are stuck in the past(which explains why tinman leaps to their defense all the time) and they have absolutely ZERO interest in talking serious ball.
If you are fouled when shooting and the shot did not go in it does not count as a FGA. Harden drew so many fouls that's why his FGA number looked less.
A lot of times, particularly when they comment on player acquisitions or which team is better or "analytics", it's like asking somebody who worked in a factory building IBM thinkpads in 1995 what the best smartphone is today. Former palyers don't have any unique set of analytical knowledge on this that the rest of us don't. to the extent they do, it's via personal contacts with the players/agents/coaches etc, not through any acumen or insight
It doesn't really matter because that is a consistent rule among all players. Westbrook shot 16 free throws last night and still took 38 recorded shots.
