James harden is a pretty damn good number one option. He's been to the playoffs every year as one and avg 49 wins over a 4 years stretch and that's with last years 41-41 debacle. I'm just curious does he have to win a championship to be validated as a good number one option? I like Ryno I think he might be the best stretch four in the game but your example is a little off imo. Harden is without a doubt one of the best players in the league and this year he's going to show a lot of people he's a bonafide MVP and one of the top 5 players in the game undisputed. This is the year harden is going to win over everyone I truely believe that. It's already happening listen to NBA radio and there already giving harden praise and major MVP buzz and some are even switching over and saying the rocket will be better than OKC by a large margin. This is the oddest year harden has had an actual coach who is a great basketball mind. He didn't have that in OKC and he def didn't have that in Houston over the last 4 years. And this thread is stupid no way no how is klay Thompson better than James harden. Harden can actually play Thompson role maybe he doesn't shoot quite as well although a case can be made that maybe he could if he didn't have to do as much on offense and just had to concentrate on spot ups and cuts. But I know for fact klay cannot do what harden does on offense that's a fact. Klay running pg for an MDA offense would be terrible pat bev would prob do better.
James harden is a pretty damn good number one option. He's been to the playoffs every year as one and avg 49 wins over a 4 years stretch and that's with last years 41-41 debacle. I'm just curious does he have to win a championship to be validated as a good number one option? I like Ryno I think he might be the best stretch four in the game but your example is a little off imo. Harden is without a doubt one of the best players in the league and this year he's going to show a lot of people he's a bonafide MVP and one of the top 5 players in the game undisputed. This is the year harden is going to win over everyone I truely believe that. It's already happening listen to NBA radio and there already giving harden praise and major MVP buzz and some are even switching over and saying the rocket will be better than OKC by a large margin. This is the oddest year harden has had an actual coach who is a great basketball mind. He didn't have that in OKC and he def didn't have that in Houston over the last 4 years. And this thread is stupid no way no how is klay Thompson better than James harden. Harden can actually play Thompson role maybe he doesn't shoot quite as well although a case can be made that maybe he could if he didn't have to do as much on offense and just had to concentrate on spot ups and cuts. But I know for fact klay cannot do what harden does on offense that's a fact. Klay running pg for an MDA offense would be terrible pat bev would prob do better.
Did Ray Allen decline because his game was pretty much the same. What about Reggie Miller? And you do know he's not taking a beaten like Harden.
Both good examples to support Klay in the longevity argument. There are always a couple examples of guys who beat the odds and that's why both of those guys will be hall of famers. If we're going to cherry pick examples, it's hard for me to even think of any other guys with Harden's particular array of skills and tendencies. He is unique in several more ways than Klay. I don't think Harden has "taken a beating". That seems like hyperbole to me. He draws contact, but it's usually reaching fouls and not high flying shenanigans.
You do James' game doesn't rely on athleticism. He has a old man game. He does get fouled a lot though.
D. Wade comes to mind. And how am I cherry picking anything. I just tossed a few names who had the same skillset and who were pretty much used in the same role. RIP was another player who came off a lot of picks with Detroit.
I'm not disputing that. I believe he will play well into his thirties. I was just telling Ole buddy that there were other players like Klay who played way past their thirties and we're still pretty efficient.
but the problem is klay has never been an effiecent player.. klay has never posted a PER above 19 in his career the comparison to harden is dumb, it makes it look like klay is on or nears hardens level as a player when thats not the case. harden is teirs above klay as a player, its not even close. Klay Thompson has benefited the most out of the media talking up a Harden vs. Klay rivaliry. compare their numbers and all around game( including defense) and Harden blows him away Klay is closer to a prime Peja, and Harden is closer to Kobe.. thats what the stats say
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/carmelo/james-harden/ http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/carmelo/klay-thompson/
Yeah sure, but times have changed. Shooting, efficient teamball without turning it over and moving from place to place off the ball without the coach tellin you to do is key in modern NBA's game. A face up game and more team oriented approach have turned out to be more important in these times, man. Gotta admit it.
Klay doesn't have the talent to carry a team as lead guy like Harden. He doesn't do enough or have many tools in his toolbox to scare teams, draw double teams as a singular threat
It is a team game. I have not seen Harden fully bought into the system of McHale, Bickerstaff, other than he just looked at them the funny way sometimes. A star has to get his and make his teammates better at everything, not just making their shots, which he did not do last season either. Being vocal and all. A silent leader is not going to do much these days. I have said it. Both are not very good at the latter.
LOL what system did they have? Who could you have replaced harden with last year and would have thrived in mchale and jbbs "system" And would have made brewer d12 jones terry kj better? And healed dmos back?
You could argue that their 'system' are inferior to those of other elite teams but at the end of the day he was not listening either way at times. I am not suggesting that specific players (among them James) are not coachable, yes they are but some are just doing things to get paid. making folks better - talk to them in the locker room, try to figure out their sweet spots, know their weakness and strenghts, be the right hand of the coach at times. That is championship caliber. I am saying Harden could get there. That does not include small medical wonders (Dmo's case)
