James Harden is gonna get screwed over again in MVP Voting

Harden will win MVP this year. You can bookmark this post if it makes you feel safer in your safe space, though.

Harden makes some people feel some type of way. That's the mark of a true superstar, though. Kobe and Lebron were equally polarizing. You're not on top unless the media hates on you a bit.

 

Hahaha @ ESPN, sure..Westbrook played alright, but most of his points came in the 4th when the game was over and Harden got his guys going which is why we won. Such a simple-minded box-score based observation, a teenager can come to a better conclusion than that.

 

Funny before the season started NOBODY was saying Harden had great teammates, and NOBODY was saying Westbrook had terrible teammates. In fact, pretty much every news media and Vegas predicted OKC to rank higher than HOU. Harden is enabling his teammate to shine while Westbrook keeps his lions share.
Would you do the following trades?
SG: Oladipo 2P% = 49.5% 3P%=38.3%
SG: Gorden 2P% = 47.6% 3P%=38.0%
---
PF: Gibson 2P% = 50.4% 3P%=100%* rarely shoots
PF: Anderson 2P%=44.1% 3P%=39.7%
---
C: Adams 2P% = 58.0%
C: Kanter 2P% = 58.5%
C: Capela 2P% = 64.1%
C: Nene 2P% = 62.5%
-------------------------
Personal feelings asisde, I would take Oladipo over Gorden at SG position.
Center wise, I would trade Capela and Nene for Adams and Kanter. They look so good because Harden gives them the best lops out there all the time.
A lot of people would take Gibson over Anderson too.
Now OKC fans need to stop pretending OKC doesn't have the talent. It's up to the coach and players to play the way best utilize their talent. OKC doesn't have to copy HOU's game plan.

 

Also many causal fans (they are aslo prone to triple double obsession) look at shooting% and thought Harden and Westbrook have similar shooting %. Here's the actual story:

Westbrook: 2P% = 45.6% 3P% = 33.6%
Harden: 2P% = 53.7% 3P%= 35.2%
The overall % appear to be similar only because Westbook takes 29% 3 pointers while Harden takes 48% 3 pointers.

Ref:
http://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/hou
http://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/okc

 

How can there be 2 "Most Valuable Players?"

co-MVP is such a lazy cop out...that would be wacker than when the NBA gave the Hawks' starting 5 "Player of the Month" back in 2015

 

Roftl Skip...

 

2014-2015 MVP is Curry even though Hardens #'s are better.. Why? Media says "Because he has the better team"

2016-2017 MVP is... Westbrook!?? Why? Media says "His team isn't as good as Hardens and so he carries them more"

/Consistant

 

Easily Gordon over Oladipo. Sacrificing 0.3% from 3pt percentage while adding at least 3 feet in range? Absolutely. Floor spacing is crucial to our success.

Gibson was acquired at the trade deadline. It's intellectually dishonest to talk about preseason rosters and then include Gibson in a hypothetical trade.

I'd much rather have Capela/Nene over Adams/Kanter. They're a better fit with Harden. Kanter is an isolation post player, and Adams is a far inferior pick and roll player than Capela.

 

Yeah, I haven't been buying this until today. Even when it was OHHH KAWHY? JUST TOOK THE MVP FROM HARDEN stuff. But today?

Today I log onto Facespace and the first 18 posts are Westbrook triple double, Westbrook/Oscar Robinson chase, Westbrook is amazing.

Oh and btw, scored garbage time points, had to have the refs blatantly help them not lose by 40 and is a ball hog glory boy instead of a guy who's team success determines personal success. Westbrook's personal success is coming first.

You know what? I hope the get 6th seed, I hope the league hands Westbrook the MVP (none of the Co-MVP shite) right in front of James and he goes super mega ultra saiyan on the league and wins the chip.

 

At this point i just can't wait to see the players ridicule the (salty) media...again.

 

The fact that the Rockets blew out the Thunder and the only thing the media can talk about is Westbrook's stats tells you all you need to know about the MVP "race"

 

Max: No problem sharing MVP. Don't know how you deny either. A triple-double, even if 9.8 - is there really a difference? No one ever had a shot. Westbrook might do it on a winning team going to the playoffs on a team not designed with shooters. Harden has shooters around him & they're winning more. Westbrook - big numbers in losing effort because his team is not as good & Harden in winning effort because his team is better. Don't know how you deny either. Not a right call that doesn't involve co-MVP.

SA: I don't have a problem with co-MVP but from my statement a week ago, once it's announced, it better have Harden's name on it. Westbrook is losing compared to Harden. They've beaten them 3-1. Yesterday was a microcosm of what has been the season with Westbrook. We cannot ignore that Westbrook is in position to pad those numbers. You also need to win. (Max: He is.)

Max: Whose team is designed better?

SA: Harden is averaging 29/11/8. It's not that far off. Head to head, 3rd seed, the consistency Harden is playing at....Westbrook is phenomenal. Harden also is & is also winning.

Max: You just said he customarily has great numbers but are they better this year than ever before?

SA: .4 increase in scoring?

Max: What about rebounding & assists? Oh, so the system & team you play with does have an impact?

SA: D'Antoni is more of a beneficiary than the other way around.

Max: It's not debatable his team is built better than Westbrook's.

SA: Numbers wise, Westbrook has the ball in his hands & no obligations to defer to anyone else.

Max: You just said it. Westbrook has less around him.

__________________________________________

Skip: Russell Westbrook continues to be the MVP & proved it again yesterday as he outplayed Harden head to head. Would you believe Westbrook is going to average a triple-double? 36 on the year, 5 shy of Oscar, 6 to break it. Here we go again with the team & record thing. OKC trailed by 20 at half & lost by 12. Houston has made 129 more threes than any other team in the league. Yesterday, Houston went crazy hot from three again. First half, Lou Williams goes 4-4. Ariza 4-5. Guess what's gonna happen to OKC? They're gonna trail by 20. They got out-shot from three. Houston at home when they get into rhythm like that, forget about it. Russell doesn't have enough help. He's a 1 1/2 out of the 5th seed. They're 2 1/2 back from 4th. 10 games to go, you never know. Russell is keeping this team afloat by himself. He needs more help. There you go, MVP.

Shannon: I'm so happy for Russell. Another triple-double. They took the L. Harden will be MVP. There's now a lot of talk they should be co-MVP. Russell had a triple-double but they lost & guess who had the lowest +/-? The guy you said is MVP.

Skip: He outplayed him in every category.

Shannon: I didn't know this was one on one.

Skip: This is a one on one match-up.

Shannon: Were they guarding each other?

Skip: Here & there.

Shannon: I love the Rockets instagram.

Skip: That came from the mouth of the Rockets GM, Daryl Morey.

Shannon: They only played 8 guys, 63% from the floor. 51% from three. What are all these triple-doubles getting him? Why is it when they win, he gets everyone involved & when he loses, he doesn't have enough help? These are the same guys out there.

Skip: If the Rockets keep making 20 threes every game, they're going to win the NBA championship.

Shannon: Why are you making concessions for Russell that you don't make for anyone else?

Skip: It's Russell or bust. He doesn't have enough help. They're not a great offensive or defensive team. I have no idea how they're a game & a half back from the 5th seed.

Shannon: What about the 41%? 4.7 TO?

Skip: What about 11 rebounds a game for a 6'3 guard? The ball is in his hands more. He'll turn it over at a higher rate.

Shannon: Westbrook turns it over at an alarming rate. His 41% is atrocious.

Skip: You're using his W/L record as a negative. To me, it's a positive. It's amazing what he's doing with little to no help. It's him & Oladipo. Did they replace Durant with another Durant?

Shannon: How many all-stars for Harden?

Skip: They're loaded with shooters. They just added Lou Williams. Eric Gordon off the bench? Ryan Anderson? Are you kidding me?

Shannon: The Rockets said we want Harden with marksman. The Thunder said we want Westbrook with bigs - Gibson, Adams, Sabonis, Kanter. That's their choice. They built it how Russell wanted it built.

Skip: Russell wanted to go win a chip with Kevin.

Shannon: Kevin said I don't love you anymore.

Skip: Even with Sabonis, half the time I don't know if he's even out there. I'd take a couple Gonzaga kids right now & put them in over this guy.

Shannon: Rockets built this team...

Skip: Ariza is an all-star to me. Nene is really good, a force in the middle. This team is loaded. Who's the better team?

Shannon: Because of James Harden. All I know is they got rid of Dwight & got better. Y'all got rid of KD.

 

Wait...Skip called Ariza an All-star?


Welp....I think I need somebody to call 911 for me. I believe I've just suffered a heart-attack.

 

What's up with this guy? Skip has turned into one of the biggest Harden haters out there, it used to be not this bad.

 

Nobody mentioning the fact that Harden was outplaying Russ until 3Q when the Rockets were up by 25, and Russ scored half of his points in garbage time?

 

If your argument against Harden as MVP is saying Ariza is an All-Star, you've lost that argument.

 

While I am in awe of what Russell is doing the Thunder right now, record HAS to play a factor in MVP voting. The triple doubles are amazing but what sort of impact are they having. The voters have given less importance to individual stats in the past when compared to team record. Have players won the MVP when not on the best team in the league? Of course that has happened several times. But you know what hasn't happened in the last 30* years in MVP voting? A MVP on a team with less than 50 wins. Jordan won MVP back 29 years ago on a 50-32 win team. You would have to go back to the 81-82 season to find an MVP on a team that won less than 50 games. (Moses with Houston). The Thunder right now are 41-31 and with 10 games left in the season they will have to go at least 9-1 to reach the 50 win mark. I don't think that will happen and I haven't even looked at their upcoming schedule. You have to go back 35 years to find an MVP on a team that won less than 50 games. The Thunder are on pace to win 47 games right now. . If there is a co-mvp or if Harden doesnt win it - its a complete shame and travesty and really just shows how little the award really means and how much media's agenda/narrative matters. Don't get me wrong I believe its a great story and even more so factoring in how Durant left OKC leaving Westbrook alone. The media especially today love great stories and even gave an MVP to a player that probably didn't deserve it (Rose) because there was an all out hate fest against LeBron that year for leaving Cleveland. Even Rose's team though won 62 games that year.

I love Westbrook I remember seeing him around campus all the time at UCLA and he was a super nice guy, but given that he and Harden both are having historical seasons that only one of those two are having it translate into team success matters to me.


*Malone's Jazz team posted a .740 winning percentage in the 98-99 lockout year - good for 61 wins over 82 games
*Lebron's Heat posted a .697 winning percentage in the 11-12 lockout year - good for 58 wins over 82 games.

 

people still care about skip's opinion in 2017?

it's like ya'll forget he's a troll paid to say outlandish bullshit.

 

LOL at SKip Bayless. Dude is getting more senile day by day

Ariza? An All star

Idiot can't just accept he was wrong and take the L. He is going full r****d mode now to defend WB in whichever inane way possible