It comes down to preference really. And to be clear, I'm just speaking in terms from objectivity instead of just pure bias. You can't really fault someone who chooses Klay who plays an entirely different style of basketball in comparison to Harden. And the same goes for those who choose Harden. Like I said, Klay's a very good player, a 2 way player at that. Is he the prototypical player you try to start a franchise with from the beginning? Probably not but he's definitely a top player in this league regardless. At the same time, there's plenty of truth that Harden's overall impact that he's shown just a year ago, just makes him the better individual player at the end of the day. the whole part where we disagreed on is the part of Klay just being trash defensively and I definitely don't believe that. He's nowhere near that level. I also never said he was elite like you may have assumed but at the very least a solid overall defender. If you disagree thats fine and just leave it at that.
It's not that he's trash, that was harsh. He's not lillard or derozen. He just isn't much better, if he's better at all, then harden. The style of play stuff I can't argue with, that's just preference. But it's not too far away from saying that you would rather have spencer hawes then shaq b/c you want outside shooting at center.
Klays nice but he's not Harden. Klay is a great 2nd option Harden in my mind has proven to be a true number 1. Infact I don't think he's really ever played with a number 2 option. Dwight maybe his 1st year and parsons was pretty good to but as yourself this. If dwight or parsons was currys 2nd option would they be this good would they even have made a finals? I doubt it. Harden is held to that standard of the best players in the game because he's that good. With that said he's had a lot less to work with then lebron curry KD/russ cp3 and even Leonard (I don't think he's a true number 1 either) but he's asked by fans and media to be on those guys level from a team standpoint. We'res his Irving/love? Klay/green? KD/russ/ibaka? Griffin/Jordan? I mean he's had dwight/ariza both guys are not even allstars let alone all NBA guys. Harden needs talent around him. But his game is franchise worthy.
Why not he's done it in a small sample size this year. When Curry went down they ran the offense through Klay.(dude went off for damn near 40 on us when Curry didn't play). When Currys game was off or he was down with an injury, in the playoffs they ran the offense through Klay. And guess what he produced. So I really don't get this notion that he couldn't be the number 1 guy.
Klay would be Kevin Martin in his prime probably. Would have some huge scoring nights but not enough to lead a playoff team. Better Defense than Kmart of course.
No one is questioning Klay's ability to move off the ball. When Steph goes out the number of plays for Klay simply increases, he gets more shot opportunities and when he's hot he's ridiculous. There are still players like Draymond who initiate and Livingston who are great passers LOOKING for Klay on the move. In this type of offense, yes he could thrive. Try this. Put Klay on this years Rockets team, with JBB as coach. Let him carry the scoring load for a team with poor ball movement, and no shooters good enough to create space for him. This would mean he has to create more for himself, and with his ball handling any defense would just key in on him and force him to cough it up. His turnovers would increase and his efficiency as a shooter would likely go down. He doesn't have the game to do it.
Let's not assume or play the if game. The reason why the Rockets looked so damn bad this season was because they somehow lost the chemistry from the year before. You don't make it to the WCF off of pure luck so let's not act like our team is trash either. Again we don't know what this team would have done if Klay was on it and Harden wasn't on it.
Well at the very least we'd be a team with Beverley as our primary (and best) ball handler with a primary scorer relying on the one of the worst shooting/moving teams in the league to provide him space. I agree though. Impossible to know for sure.
I love this. Curry is dealing right now with what James Harden dealt with all season. He looks like complete garbage on defense, which he is a garbage defender but happens to have young, athletic defenders around him, and the Warriors are getting spanked. If Steph Curry was on this year's Rockets team, I'm convinced we'd be even worse. Dude is great, so don't get me wrong. He's a once in a lifetime shooter with great handles and good vision. But he is surrounded by loads of talent on offense and defense from top to bottom. But when Klay Thompson is shooting like Trevor Ariza (1-7 from 3 pt land), Barnes is nowhere to be found doing his best Terrence Jones impression, and Draymond Green is doing his best Patrick Beveley disappearing act on defense, well with all that Curry is carrying the team but watching as they get spanked. Give James Harden some actual talent around him, and he is every bit on the same level as Steph Curry while being a better passer and rebounder.
I'll at least go with very very good. James Harden is an elite offensive player that needs guys that can actually make a basket on offense so he can play some defense. All one needs to do is look at Harden's defensive numbers in 2014-15 to know he can play defense. Difference is in 2014-15, he was actually getting contributions from Motiejunas, Corey Brewer, Josh Smith, Trevor Ariza, and Patrick Beverley when healthy. This season not one of those guys did anything on offense consistently. Nothing.
The most overrated and inconsistent player in the NBA. His inconsistency is passable only because he plays a 2nd fiddle to a true superstar, put Klay in the leading role, fans will tear this guy apart.
LMAO, 3/10 from the three point line, most of his points came from 3Q when the game was already decided, with 1 assist and 4 turnovers. Typical performance by Klay, letting down all his supporters once again, after having a great game.
We shouldn't let one bad game define Klay, but we also shouldn't let one game where he explodes define Klay either. Klay is a damn good player, but mostly because he's always a thread. His defense is greatly exaggerated, but he's still a solid team defender with his length and quick hands. Klay isn't better than Harden though, and anyone who tries to tell you they'd rather have Klay over Harden would get the worse player and have bad player judgement or are just salty as hell.
Hate is strong here Lol players mvp putting up lebron Jordan numbers is just a second option Name 16 starters from each team which you would rather give the ball to
Strongly disagree but that's okay we do that's a lot. Lol But give harden another Allstar level player and lets see what he can do, he's done about as well as can be expected olaykng 4 years with only one guy making an Allstar game over that span (dwight 13/14) and I think we can all agree that he's a specialist Allstar at that but he was great that 1st playoffs. Had we got past portland we prob would have been to b2b WcF in H&H first two years and most ppls perception is changed. Winning 56 games last year and taking this team to 9 playoff wins and a wcF birth is a pretty good argument for being a 1st option. And harden was as good as any player last post season check the numbers. We've seen lebron have 18 pt games and curry have 11 points just in these finals alone no player is perfect in a playoff run. It's unfair to point out 2 bad games over 17 last post season to show that harden had a bad playoffs, because he didn't. 27/7/6 on 44/39/88 that's elite.
What makes Harden a 2nd option? The fact that he's been one of the best 1st options in the last 4 years?
Curry isn't overrated, but he hasn't played as good in the playoffs as he did in regular season 2 years in a row. LeBron still better IMO.
