I'm also in the same boat as it's hard to get Bubble Siakam out of my head, but supposedly he's been awesome.
Gary Payton is also never brought up in the ... He led a team to a ring convo. The difference between Harden and those who chased a ring after they were over the hill is that those guys and everybody knew they were not in their prime and just wanted to tag onto a contender to get a ring. Harden's version of narrative is that his window (namely his time a top player) is about to close, that is, he is still a top player but time is running out. So he forced a trade to a contender by quitting on his team, not once but twice. So he'd better win it like he's still a top guy otherwise he will always be remembered among those old ring chaser, except that he chased it by quitting on his former team.
If he's playing like he currently is, he's not a top player. He's a sub all star who should be a third option. He has to be an alpha in the playoffs or the Sixers will lose.
Dude just wanted a free pass to a ring and so he dipped when things looked bleak. I think Dumbtoni and that MVP were the worst things to happen to him. Dumbtoni system inflated his stats and ego and the MVP made him worldwide famous and brought on all the partying, hooker trips and lil baby connections. He was never the same after that MVP season.
Nah. What system was Dumbtoni running that "inflated" his stats? Iso Ball and stand in the corner? To me James looks like Father Time is tapping him on the shoulder.
It inflated his stats cuz Dumtoni pushed the pace and gave him all the possessions. Everyone stands in the corner except Harden and Capela who would do a PnR, it guaranteed Harden will either get a shot off or pass for an assist so yeah it inflated his stats. Since dumbtoni ran the same play over and over, Harden got used to controlling every possession and wouldnt move unless he got the ball.
You have to be a beast to get those stats in the NBA man. No coach's system can do that. You have to be able to ball. But Harden has serious mileage on him and it's starting to show. Father Time is undefeated.
MDA’s Rockets Pace rank by year 16/17 : 3rd 17/18 : 13th 18/19 : 27th 19/20 : 2nd 2 years near the top. 1 in the middle when he won the MVP and 1 near the bottom. Seems the pace varied a lot year by year. Typical Dumb Toni never changing the game plan amirite? Talk about numbers inflation 18/19 Bucks were 5th in pace and Giannis was 4th in usage 19/20 Bucks were 1st in pace and Giannis was 1st in usage Do we change how we view those years? Inflated numbers? Or maybe the best of the best can handle the high usage and do something great with it and their coaches recognize it as their best avenue to success… maybe
Its amazing how some writers go out of their way to create stories about Harden and dysfunction. Why is this just getting out? Why does it even matter at this point? Somebody doing somebody a favorite to get access.
I get that Durant wanted Harden to be in the best shape going into training camp in September, but didn't Harden have a Grade 2 Hamstring strain and actually tried to play through it during the playoffs? Injuries like that takes a month or two to properly heal and I'm sure James wasn't going to do any kind of conditioning during that time frame so it wouldn't be surprising if he did come into training camp out of shape. Both dudes are drama queens.
IMO, that's extremely unlikely. He had a grade 2 hamstring strain near the end of the regular season, and he missed over a month of the regular season. I do believe that he reaggravated the issue in the playoffs, but a reaggravation wouldn't bring it back to a grade 2 strain. It's hard for me to believe that team doctors would clear Harden to play with a grade 2 strain. Plenty of players are able to stay in shape while rehabbing.
They are sports reporters - it's their job to report these kinds of stories. It's not Harden-specific - we've heard about insider discontent stories with A.D., Lebron, Durant, Jimmy Butler, etc. We get these stories in other sports too. The unique thing about Harden is that he can't seem to get along with *anyone*. Not Chris Paul, not Westbrook, not Durant, etc. It's just a matter of time before Embiid and Harden have conflict after they get bounced early in the playoffs this year.
