He was a superstar...but still far and away to what Kobe and Wade were. HOF players. Roy isn't that. So I just disagree that Harden isn't even close to what Roy was. Yeah Roy had a better mid range game...and he had a better mid range game than Wade too, did not make him better than Wade. Just like Jefferson has a better post game than Dwight, doesn't make him better than Dwight. Production and results matter. The Production and Results of Roy in his prime are very much passable.
You could say that Roy never achieved what Harden did. Harden was a key cog in a team that was 3 games away from a championship. Granted Harden wasn't the man but you could argue that OKC doesn't reach that point w/o him. After a few seasons in Houston a better comparison can be made.
You have no idea. "Far and away"? Yeah right. Roy was right there with Wade and Kobe but not many people watched him on a day-to-day basis. You obviously fall into that category. Roy dominated 4th quarters and crunch time like few players ever. Because of injuries, he couldn't sustain it long enough. At this point, Harden isn't close to those guys, yet. He should grow up a lot this year. Besides mid-range, Harden must get better at going to his right and finishing right.
Yes, Roy was amazing when it came to going both ways and finishing with either hand. I think Harden has what it takes to be great but he still has a lot to prove to match or exceed Roy's best.
We going to say now that Roy was close to Kobe and Wade now? Did you watch them play? Kobe and Wade in their primes compared to Roy in his is not even close. Those dude averaged 30ppg on great %, played great defense, and their accomplishments surpassed what Roy ever did. Those two guys were and are in a another class. We can argue what ifs all day in sports, he didn't stay healthy. His best years were great but they were nothing compared to Wade's and especially Kobe. His best years were not MVP type years, Roy wasn't a MVP candidate. What he accomplished in his short career is not un-passable. Was Roy ever a top 5 player in the NBA? Wade and Kobe were.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Y! Sources: With more knee trouble, Minnesota's Brandon Roy considers retirement again. <a href="http://t.co/Qf2gziJ4" title="http://tinyurl.com/cojhekp" org_href="http://tinyurl.com/cojhekp">tinyurl.com/cojhekp</a></p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/285112102501363712" data-datetime="2012-12-29T13:56:37+00:00">December 29, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
You know, at this rate, I think Harden will get there. The way he closed out the T-Wolves was very Roy-like. For that matter, it was MJ-like. Would be nice if he eventually learned how to finish strong with either hand.
Me thinks that some are over rating Roy. He was never in the same class as Kobe or Wade. Further the year Harden is having is better than any Roy ever had. Roy was an all star type player but was never a superstar.
Anybody on here saying that Brandon Roy was on the same level as Kobe or Wade is just insane. Brandon Roy was a true stud, and we can all agree with that, but Roy was most certainly not an MVP candidate at any point, while Kobe and Wade have both been consistently on or near that level, and for much longer as well. We'll never know what Brandon Roy could have done (though I'm sure it would have been great), but just stop with the comparisons to Kobe and Wade. He wasn't on that level at all.
Going to his right? yes, mid range game? no He needs to cut down on the turnovers, but that almost seems like a product of our offense, at times favouring risky passes just to force the pace. There are very few people whose mid range game is actually more than "chucking which hurts your team more than it helps", Roy wasn't one of those, there's a guy in Dallas who when fit is one of those. What are you actually after here? Harden to create more separation, looking really flashy then miss 60% of the 2pt shots like most of these other guys?
To appreciate Roy, you need to have seen him play regularly while he was in his prime. He was probably the most clutch player in the league (seriously). He couldn't carry a team on his back for an entire season like like prime Wade and Kobe could but he was, IMO, scarier than both of those guys in the 4th quarter. Harden will be a better statistical player, I'm certain but he does have strides to make in order to be the assassin Roy was.
After undergoing the platelet-rich plasma procedure that revived the careers of Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady... _____ Well, 1 out of 3 ain't bad.
The last 5 weeks Harden has shown more than anyone could have expected. I've watched almost every game he's played since coming into the NBA. His mid-range has improved dramatically this season. Down the stretch when he's denied both the 3-point shot and the rim, Harden has shown he can hit the pull-up jumper. This is one of the things that separates the best NBA players from everyone else. Harden may never be strong at finishing right. Rockets will live with that. I mentioned it because he specifically said after the Finals he would work on finishing with his right hand during the summer. All things considered, his TOs aren't a big problem. At this point, I'm just curious if Harden can sustain the burden of production all season without falling off.
One thing to consider with Roy and Harden, Roy played on some slooooow paced Blazer teams with coach Nate McMillan. Harden plays on the fastest pace team this season, So can assume Roy's numbers were held DOWN some. Or Harden's numbers are a tad inflated. If Roy played on this Rockets team, he'da had higher numbers. D-Wade and Kobe didnt need pace factor to get theirs. And Roy can't get the to free throw line like Harden and those guys, so he's a little under their class. Though with Roy's injuries, its a bit of an incomplete story. He certainly had better effect on winning than Joe Johnson.
I agree on the pace issue... Although I would point out that advanced statistics take that into account. Going the other way, Roy had better teammates around him. Interesting debate... If Harden plays like he has, I will take him, but he has to do it all season.
