I'm not going to deny this, but you flat-out ignore how great Harden is too. The dude deserves multiple MVPs. AGAIN and AGAIN, I repeat, he got to 7 Games vs GSW with only 1 other all-star player next to him. Lebron had 2 former all-stars on his roster in 2016 to beat GSW in 7 games. GSW roster always had 3 all-stars. Giannis won a chip before Harden, but the dude had Jrue Holiday, Middleton, both former all-stars. Again, Hakeem can do **** like this because he's a freaking top-10, top-5 GOAT player. And if Harden did this kind of stuff here? He'd be in some GOAT top-20 conversations immediately. If you were guessing he'd be a top-20 GOAT w/ what he does off-court and how his personality is, you're not knowledgeable enough to be disappointed with his performance. Also, stop ignoring the media bias. Harden has had multiple times when he had to play through injuries, and nobody gave a ****. Never have I seen a superstar being so hated to the point where they don't cover the pain he has to play through. ****ing ridiculous.
I agree with this. Harden isn't Hakeem. No one will ever be Hakeem. Greatest player to ever wear a Rockets uniform. People need to accept that and realize yes Harden needs help and there is nothing wrong with that. Getting him help however costs money as it shows in Brooklyn. Our owner can't afford the help. It happens. Brooklyn/China rich > Houston rich. When you make 6 figures in the city and are still considered poor... you know you're entering a different ballgame. Les sold the Rockets to a poor man and put the poor man in even more debt. Sounds like a Loan Shark.... oh wait...
He lost to the Warriors or his team wasn't good enough to even play the Warriors for the majority of the time he was here. The entire Western Conference choked during that time because one team was whipping the mighty Wests's ass in record fashion.
His team was good enough to beat the Lillard Blazers and the Kawhiless Spurs. Harden's playoff exits wouldn't be as scrutinized as much if he at least balled out guns blazing as he exits but instead the way Harden handles adversity at the end of right games is walking around with his head down sulking not even being apart of the play or if he does get involved it's just a step back three. It's just not within his personality to ramp up his intensity in clutch time situations in the playoffs. It probably is a combination of how his brain is wired and not having the cardio conditioning to run around at the end of right playoff games. Harden is a 1B type of talent on a championship squad. He needs a 1A alpha or something like a 2A which CP3 was. Inferior talent at that stage of their respective careers but a far more suitable personality to lead and be aggressive in clutch time situations.
I don't know how that helps your case? My point is that Harden still lost to average competition. Like it just doesn't take an all time elite team to eliminate a Harden led Rockets. That's my point.
Brooklyn looks like an elite team but is actually a team of losers. Harden hasn't win anything yet. Durant only won a championship when he joined GS. Kyrie only won when LBJ decided to go back to the Cavs. On their own, I don't know if they're able to win a championship. All 3 of them lack the will to win. I'm sorry but there's only one Rocket that can do it, it's Hakeem.
Go back and look at the Western Conference's record vs the Warriors during their run. The whole Western Conference was average. They were dominated. My case is what was their excuse? in reality the other Western Conference teams weren't good enough to win a title, Harden's included. All this angst against the guy is just dumb when the whole conference was dominated. None of them could beat the Elite team
I’ve said many times in this thread harden is an mvp candidate season after season. He self destructs in big games tho
You ignore the fact that the Warriors made the mighty Western conference meltdown for 5 years straight.
Harden meltdowns would happen against a patty mills lead spurs team and doc rivers clippers. Thank god j smoove and Corey Brewer were there
Yea, if the only barometer is hes lower than one of the greatest players of all time...I'm fine with that, hes still in the conversation of elite even in regards to hall of famers "“I think all records are a sense of pride for the work that you put into the game. So yeah, I’m happy to have it. I’m happy to have it because I think it showcases actually how much you practiced and the effort that I put into it. I think what you are seeing in James Harden is the same thing,” Michael Jordan explained. “He’s not doing this off the whim. It’s something that he’s worked at and he’s perfected to the point where the results are starting to show." And who doesn't need help? the nba is a star league now, you need depth, and the pay rolls are skyrocketing. Remember Milwaukee paying max for middletone and holiday, they spent a pick on tucker and he played 35 minutes on a winner a game where people say here he shouldn't even be on an nba roster bc hes cooked...simply can't see beyond a box score is what it is, espn JUMP style commentary @tinman basketball ain't played 1-1 Is lebron a guy who needs help too because he went ot miami to win and only won when he came back with kyrie? Or AD? simply put you need talent, you need depth in this league especially the way things are going. Harden has plenty of flaws, I suspect now with out all the wieght bc we used him and then cheaped out around him so it was entirely on him with very little diversity allowed based on our budget and make up. Harden himself was caught telling curry he doesn't want to keep playing that style. Is kobe a guy who can't do it on his own bc he literlaly demanded a trade or asked for another star before he could compete? Should mavs have given up on Dirk 'proving' he cant win bc he lost in the first round as a 1 seed while the mvp? What about Giannis losing 1-4 in the semis in his mvp year while missing free throws? These three/4 dudes on here weould be crying for the owner to trade him and save money. Talk about obsessed with the owners pockets, never seen fans above root against the actual players like this.
At the end of the day the Harden era is DONE & ended with no chip. I like Harden's game and appreciate what he did here but I hated the way he showed his ass on the way out. He tried to cheat the game came in fat (to get traded) and got hurt in the playoffs. But I'm excited for the new guys and hopefully they'll make new memories and win a chip.
