You can say that Harden is getting worn down as the season ends or you could question if the league has figured him out. He must add a mid range game or else 24-25ppg is the best he'll ever get assuming he still gets the whistles.
a franchise player is someone capable of leading the team to a championship...do you believe he can be the best player on a title contending team? Any other ambiguities you'd like me to address?
If he is hurt, then go sit down. He's not helping the team when he is struggling at both ends of the floor while playing through pain.
1) Yes. Harden can most certainly be your best player. You obviously need a 2nd star, preferably a PF or a C who can provide consistent offense, but any other star is needed. 2) I think Harden is a Top 10 player already, but even if you don't, which is reasonable, surely you have to think he's Top 15 at worst. Added on to that, even if you don't think he's Top 10 now, he is undoubtably a Top 10, maybe even Top 5 player you'd want for your franchise going forward for the future. There is really no debating that. 23 years old already averaging 25, 5, and 5 in his first year as a top option. It's not like Harden is locked into what he is right now. He will improve and get better. Just needs time. And you can say that with a lot of people on this team, not just Harden.
memory is deceiving YOU....harden is plain poor in 4th quarters...he had more choking 4 quarters and willed us to win only a couple of times in the 4th...while ruining most of the tied games down the strech with isoing...
thats a lie. His best qrtr have come in the 4th consistently this season. I am pissed of at his francis like performance but you have your head up your ass.
I don't have an agenda, you freaking idiot. My agenda is for the Rockets to do well and play the beautiful style of share-the-ball, free-flowing basketball that we were playing when Harden was out for a couple of games.
Harden is NOT a franchise player right now. His defense is beyond terrible (he doesn't even try) and he can often be as selfish as Westbrook when ignoring open teammates. I'd label him an elite scorer but that's where I stop.
Harden isnt overrated at all. He had a poor game tonight but guess what he went up against Dwight & Pau. It is hard to score against those guys. Plus McHale doesn't help the situation.
you can't blame him for running out of gas. he's never started for a whole season before let alone carry a whole team
wow, by your definition the entire leagues has one franchise player, you might as well go root for whoever the champion team is
He has been TO'ing a lot, I think he had 6 tonight? Eek, but those TOs and lack of aggressiveness he had to start the season make me believe it's just fatigue Let's not forget this is his first year as not only a starter but being THE man on a team, and therefore he's playing a whole lot of minutes.
1. I agree with a big man for sure. But you're saying if I brought in Aldridge/D12/KLove...that player wouldn't be a better player than Harden? I think for the most part, an allstar big (not many I know) would be considered a better player than an allstar sg 2. Top 10, top 15, that's a tossup and I can respect opinions on that. I do agree he can improve but if your expecting him to be top 5 in the future, you're basically saying he's gonna be better than guys like drose, westbrook, CP, parker and same level as KD, lebron, kobe, wade...just got to point out that the 4 players I just mentioned are once in a generation type guys...it would be extremely unlikely for any human being to be as good as those players....