It really depends on what you want. If you want a player to score alot but hold the ball forever and not play much defense, then Harden is your guy If you want to play a team oriented game of offense and defense and win, then George is your man
Indeed I agree. But once George gets his max contract, their not going to have a ton of flexibility with him and Hibbert as their 2 max players. We'll see how they deal with that, but currently, they are very well constructed. The Rockets are very similar to the Pacers, they just lack a true scoring threat from a big man. Once they get that, or significantly improve their defense, they'll be a very high quality team. And as for your question...that's a pretty good one. I'd tend to learn towards Lin if for nothing else at least Lin has shown stretches of brilliance, even if he's pretty inconsistent with them. Hill brings you consistency and he's a good fit for the team he's on, but I think Lin's ceiling has proven to be much higher and he's about 4 years younger if I'm not mistaken. I think you know what Hill (14 points 5 assists) is by now, while Lin (12 points 6 assists) could give you much more. What say you?
I don't see much reasoning behind selecting James Harden.. Most people are acknowledging that George is the better defender and they are pretty even on offense but still selecting Harden
It's still a pretty sizable gap between Harden and George's offensive game, but this at least is reasonable compared to them being "even".
Lets just put it this way... it's extremely unlikely that Paul George will ever have the ability to be a first option on a contending team, even if Harden doesn't improve he has the ability right now.
Harden is far superior offensively, and whether you think defense or offense ir more valuable to a team, it seems elite offensive skills are far more rare and valued then elite defensive skills. There's a reason why Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and James Harden are all considered stars, but guys like Shane Battier and Tony Allen aren't. Defense is a huge asset to the team, but good coaches rely more on team oriented defense then individual defensive skill, but offenses are much more reliant on single players to do a bulk of the scoring.
I think I agree, and even though Lin is crucified here I still think he has a very high ceiling. Take away the exposure and expectations of Linsanity and instead of an overhyped overrated player you have a cornerstone of a franchise. That being said, I'm afraid that Lin is at his best when he is the primary ball-handler and running the offense, and since the Rockets already have Harden, his potential could be wasted if he doesn't learn how to play off the ball effectively. We shall see, but if we don't use Lin where he fits best, then it may make more sense to get a PG who is a better defender and outside shooter.
Lin is crucified mainly because of the annoyance of his fans. I think objectively speaking, Lin is looked at as an average starting point guard with the potential to do great things (Linsanity period). However...as you said, the Rockets may not be the best team for him to realize that potential with, and while I don't think Lin would ever admit it, I think he would agree with that. I think he's obviously grateful that Harden fell into our laps, but I also think that he knows that this wasn't what he signed up for when he agreed to a contract with us. He was going to be the focal point with the ball in his hands, and now Harden has somewhat taken that away. Conversely though...there were many times where Harden and Lin were playing off of each other beautifully. Hopefully they continue to mesh together and learn to play with each other consistently. I think it can happen, but no question that right now Lin isn't the greatest fit with this team. The potential is certainly there though.
Why are they even on offense? Harden has been the focal point of the Rox's offense and powered the youngest team in the league to the playoffs. PG's been solid but he's been the 3rd option behind West and Hibbert. After LBJ exposed PG, only people who would pick him over a proven franchise talent like Harden (who's only 1 year older than PG btw) are LOFs.
Uh...what? The only reason Lin gets "crucified" as you call it is because the LOFs have flooded the board and does anything and everything to make sure lin looks good, even to the point of bashing Harden for the most stupid reasons. As a natural reaction other objective posters start taking a dislike to Lin because although he hasn't done anything wrong, people start to associate his lame ass fans with him. As far as skills go, I disagree that Lin isn't being utilized to his fullest, I think he just regressed due to injury which was why he was a bad fit. While Lin is the best playmaker on the squad he lacks the explosiveness he had prior to getting injured, and as a result can't really score on elite defenses anymore, and his shooting became worse as well. A lot of LOFs are claiming he was just not being used correctly, but honestly when third tier guards like Beverly and Tony Douglas are outplaying you the problem's on Lin IMHO. The good news is I think with a year to recover from his injury he should be back to his old self next season.
Kind of an ignorant thing to say considering PG led the Pacers in mpg, FGA/game, and ppg during the regular season. Looks like you've forgotten how Harden fared against the Heat in the finals last year.
Really? Quick! Name the top 10 best defenders in the NBA! Now name the top 20 offensive guys.... granted you made your point by picking on Shane Battier and Tony Allen, but let's not overlook facts just to make your point. I think it is the "defensive stopper" that is more rare, and if you can get offense out of them then it's a huge bonus. You can honestly go down EVERY SINGLE ROSTER in the NBA and name a guy who has by most accounts is a great offensive player, defense on the other hand? Maybe half that.
Well if our only options left are the players that LeBron James hasn't exposed who does that leave us with???? Signed, apparently a LOF
