James Harden is gonna get screwed over again in MVP Voting

It's so ridiculous. Is Westbrook's supporting cast great? No, but people are acting like he's carrying the Sixers' roster to the playoffs or something. OKC has Oladipo, Adams, Kanter, Roberson, Gibson, and McDermott. Those are not scrubs. The Rockets have 9 MORE WINS and the roster isn't filled with all stars like the Cavs or GS, it's Harden and a bunch of role players. The Rockets should not have a top 4 record in the NBA, but they do. Nobody wants to mention that Harden is damn near averaging a triple double as well, it's not like he's averaging 25, 5, and 5. Harden's statline is almost as impressive as Westbrook's, and his team has a lot more wins, but Westbrook should win MVP? Hell nah.

 

Total joke if Westbrook wins MVP.

 

I made a comment a while back and got chastised for it. Going to repeat it here.

So the Rockets are a better team than the squad who made the WCF.

 

Oladipo and Kanter have both missed a bunch of games. Gibson and McDermott just joined the team. Roberson is a scrub.

 

People are already taking notice that his teammates hand him rebounds. Apparently he leads the league in solo rebounds (no one else around) especially on opponent free throw attempts. His teammates clear out and allow him to get the board. If Harden's teammates did that he would average a trip-dub as well.

 

Also, we are no longer in a paint oriented league. For years there were 7 footers and 250 pounders clogging the lanes making it tough for a guard to get anything inside. Now that centers and PFs are spread out on the wings and 3 pt line, the lane is open for anyone to park themselves on the elbow and collect some extra rebounds.

Westbrook is not an anomaly as much as a person who knows where he can get his opportunities and have his teammates help him along the way.

 

Roberson is an elite defender. OKC has a lot more depth and talent than people give credit for.

If past players like Ben Wallace and Bruce Bowen were able to fulfill respectable roles as part of the centerpieces for championship caliber teams, I don't see why Roberson is considered a scrub by so many. He's just a slight downgrade version of defensive specialist such as Tony Allen, and OKC is just a mediocre team, so he deserves his spot.

 

An elite wing defender who can't shoot/score is a scrub. The fact that he deserves a spot in OKC's starting lineup is a testament to the weakness of the roster as a whole.

Bruce Bowen was a respectable player b/c he was an elite defender and an above average 3 point shooter.

 

Roberson has slightly higher TS% (and much better 2PT%) than Bowen because Roberson can at least penetrate and score at the rim, or participate in the fast breaks. Bowen didn't have Roberson's speed or athleticism so all he could do was shoot corner 3s, which he made only once on average during the whole game. In the end, they both average(d) 6~7 PPG on similar scoring efficiency. Also, nobody's calling Tony Allen a scrub.

 

You know, it's really strange. Media acknowledges the depth, then in the same sentence, says Westbrook has nothing..

Right after the trade that brought Taj and McDermott to the Thunder, Media LOVED it. Statements like, "Finally Westbrook got some help," and "There is no excuse now." were all over the place.

Kenny Smith a week ago said how stacked their front court was, then said they had little depth in the next segment.

It's exhausting listening to these guys wrap themselves in knots trying to find the narrative that fits.

 

Honestly, if you gave me the current OKC roster before the season and asked me to predict their win totals, I would have said between 45-50 wins. And they're exactly on that pace, probably tilting towards the lower end. So I don't understand all this nonsense regarding how much Westbrook is carrying his team, when his team is not exceeding the pre-season expectations AT ALL.

 

This. So much this.

They contradict themselves repeatedly trying to explain why they think it's Westbrook. Shaq has gotten offended and visibly mad when someone on the panel suggested Harden. Where's the beef?

 

How many OKC games have you actually watched? Roberson can't penetrate or handle the ball. And who cares if his TS% is higher than Bowen's? That doesn't change the fact that he's a terrible shooter all-around shooter. Sure, he's great at finishing fast breaks, but how prevalent are fast break points in the playoffs? At least Bowen can shoot the corner 3 at an above average percentage. The fact that defenses need to account for him is what prevents him from being a scrub.

Tony Allen isn't a scrub, but he's a lot better than Roberson. He can actually handle the ball and occasionally create his own shot. He actually has the skillset that you think Roberson has.

 

Shaq's an idiot, and gets easily offended when someone doesn't agree with what he says.

 

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/new...-james-james-harden/1hatjnbb6jo8lz1xrl0wktfm2

This is a pretty good article explaining why Westbrook won't win the MVP

 

Watched plenty of OKC games this season and Roberson often makes cuts to the basket. He scores at the rim like Klay does; you don't need elite ball-handling skills for that. And who cares Bowen has higher 3PT%? Roberson has higher TS% and 2PT%. Bowen was a terrible scorer all-around, even more inefficient than Roberson is now. Since when shooting ability = scoring ability? Is Kyle Korver one of the best scorers in the league? Give me a break.

Tony Allen has actually improved on his offense this season, but he was just as terrible as Roberson in his early years, and people still considered him a valuable player solely on the basis of this defensive impact.

 

If you watched plenty of OKC games, you'd know that Roberson and Klay are completely different players when it comes to scoring at the rim. Roberson takes advantages of defenders falling asleep and then going back-door. Klay's defenders are forced to overplay a potential 3 pointer which creates a lane for him to cut to the basket. Completely different.

Only every contending team in NBA history. Bowen was one of the first 3/D players, and look how prevalent they are now.

Bowen was perfect for the Spurs offense. It didn't matter that he was a deficient all-around scorer. He could shoot the 3 pointer around 40% and that's what the Spurs needed.

Not really. There's a reason he didn't get much playing time in Boston.

 

James Harden is a lock for MVP. Artesia High School.

 

Roberson is on pace to have higher PER, TS%, and 2PT% than Bowen when he was playing for the Spurs. That's just fact.

A player who only made one three-pointer in a game on average and scored 6~7 points per game is hardly a 3/D player.

Tonl Allen was just as terrible offensively during his early Memphis days, and he still received significant playing time.

 

Because you have to reconcile preseason expectations with reality.

Before the season started, if I were to tell you that Oladipo would miss 15 out of the first 63 games, Payne would miss 40 out of the first 63 games, Kanter would miss 10 out of the first 63 games, Roberson would shoot 26% from the 3 pt line, Morrow would shoot 29% from the 3 pt line, Ilyasova would be traded after 3 games, and OKC's starting power forward would be rookie Domantas Sabonis, would you still have thought OKC would end up with 45-50 wins?

If you knew all that information beforehand, you'd have thought OKC would easily be a lottery team. But they aren't, and it's b/c Westbrook is carrying them.