Guess you never heard of Magic Johnson. The Lakers would often hide him on defense throughout his career.
All-Star on the court. Maybe during his Orlando days in the east. If we had Howard instead of Harden two years ago _ no playoffs and drafting in the lottery. Howard can't necessarily carry a team offensively (his offense comes and goes), and as you can see even with him the Rockets defense is still bad. It's more about who he has on the court with him because he can only do so much from his position (and or the coaching and style of play). Harden may lack on the defensive side of the ball but he can still carry a team to the playoffs (in the west) regardless if he trips and falls when he gets there. He's still young and some young guys take time. It's just his 2nd year as a starter being the #1 option. NBA is sometimes about patients and letting a player mature and develop on the court and that's what Harden needs. But our championship aspirations jumped through the ceiling once we got Howard so we expect that process to be exhilarated with Harden when we probably shouldn't. Anyway. Super star is a wide ranged term. Some players are called super stars because they are box office. Like Howard.
Dang if there is only 2 Superstars in today's NBA then the league is watered down. These players need to step there games up. LOL I miss the good ole days! haha
I wasn't sure how to define superstar, so I thought about who I considered superstars in the 90s without over thinking it, just my gut reaction. I ended up thinking of the best 1 or 2 players from many teams. This included guys like Kemp to Dominique to Ewing. Of course it goes without saying Jordan, Hakeem, etc. I'm curious what other people think. By that standard I guess I'd have to say Harden is even though I didn't think so as my initial reaction. Certainly Lebron and KD are in a higher tier of their own, with Duncan and Kobe grandfathered in. GOAT discussion worthy.
superstar is a player who excels on both sides of the ball...right now there are only 2 superstars in this league....cp3 and lebron and possibly paul george...other than that, the rest are stars(melo, howard, etc.)
Paul George is so overrated. NBA Superstars(IMO): Tim Duncan DWade Kobe CP3 Blake Griffin DRose Melo Durant Dirk LeBron I guess you can throw Harden and Howard up there.
There are more players that can play defense at the level that George plays than there are players who are offensively talented as Harden. There's a reason that elite offensive players get more than elite defensive players. I get that George is a two way guy, but his elite skill is more replaceable and replaceable at a cheaper rate. You want a player as gifted as Harden on offense? You are paying the max. You want a George level defender? We just got one for 8 mil a year.
For me, neither... Till he turn a new leaf and prove himself in the playoffs he'll not be a superstar nor even an all-star. Other's opinion might differ but for me a star (superstar or all-star) is somebody that is really stellar on both sides of the court and makes everybody a lot better.
Superstar and one of the best players in the game one the offensive end. Pretty much nothing on the defensive end. I would reserve the superstar status only for Lebron, KD, Chris Paul, and a healthy Derrick Rose.
I think if you win an map you should be considered a superstar, so I would add Durant and healthy Rose to that list.
i think it's funny that people think harden's bad playoff series doesn't make him a superstar but dirk is, dirk shot 43%/8% (not a typo)/80% Shooting percentages are so random over a small sample
NBA 1rst team! Superstar...peeps seem to forget he carried a team on his back to 6 games as an 8th seed his first year here, and first year as a number 1 option.... oh clutchcity.net has gone crazy....my goodness chilllllllll SUPERSTAR-(yes he needs to play both ends of the floor, but it's called team Defense, and we have forgot what that looks like) -"what have you done for me lately!?"
Superstars are either unstoppable night in and night out, or they play both ends of the floor. If they do both of those things they are Michael Jordan or Lebron James.
That's your definition zcarenow not everybody else's. A lot of the exoerts and ex-players define the word Superstar differently as well. Kenny Smith, Shaq, Webber, Hill and Fox called Harden a Superstar. I've heard some say he was because of his lackluster defense.
