Curry is a really good shooter. That is all that I got out of that link. Harden led in the PPISO stat, and I think that is most telling. His ability to break down the defense is top notch in this league. Curry has much more space to work with on the floor than Harden and the key to stopping the GSW is limiting the Thompson. I think if you can funnel him in to Dwight for 7 games, then you will have a good shot at winning the series.
I agree. I remember somebody saying James Harden was one of the 3 unstoppable offensive forces in the league right now. (LeBron and Durant being the other 2) I'm starting to think Westbrook is there too now but these guys all require double teams and sometimes triple teams to limit their scoring. Curry...well...we've seen Beverley alone make him work for every point. His assists are great but it helps when the rest of your team make up the most stacked squad since the Heat.
Yeah, I saw read article this morning. All I got out from it was that Curry is a better shooter and is set up to be more efficient than Harden in Houston. Something that is universally known by anyone. It was an okay article that didn't live up to what it could have been To me, it lacked any real common sense. Using FG%, 3FG%, FT%, etc. as a means to say someone is a better scorer is such a easy and "bail-out" way to measure scoring. By his logic, Kyle Korver is a better scorer than Curry in some regards. I was hoping for some real numbers. Numbers of how good Harden or Curry was in different situations like when double teamed or in the last minutes of a close game. I think that shows how lethal a scorer is than using shooting percentages. In my opinion, Harden is the hands down better scorer while Curry is the better shooter. While it is fun to watch Curry get ultra-violet hot for a span of time, I would take Harden as the best scorer because I think his method of scoring is much more unstoppable and sustainable throughout the whole game.
When Harden is the MVP and it is not even close: - Rockets are #2 in the WEST despite all our injuries - When teams play against the Rockets, they only need to game plan for ONE player (Harden) and he still goes off on them - Rockets surround Harden with a bunch of ****ty shooters - No one breaks down the D like Harden does
I think the assist stat makes a better case for Harden, but I'm sure Curry supporters won't look at it that way. Assists has to do with not only chemistry, but consistency and the players you're playing with. Warriors have had 8 different starting lineups this year, to the Rockets' 17 different lineups! Rockets projected starting 5 has only played 2 games together all year, and the Warriors have played 50! Forget #2, IMO, even if the Rockets finish #3, I still dont see how you can make a case for any other player, other than Harden. Another key stat (small sample however), without Curry, the Warriors are 2-0. Without Harden, the Rockets are 0-1. The award is called MVP - who is the most valuable player to a teams success? Case can be made for Westbrook too, but with Westbrook (without Durant), they're 21-15 (.58), and still fighting for 8th. Harden (without Dwight), the Rockets are 26-13 (.67) and fighting for 2nd!
That article should have been titled who is the better shooter. But of course that would have been a pointless article because we already knew the answer.
If we compare it to the NFL MVP race it'd be JJ Watt: Anthony Davis Russell Westbrook: Demarco Murray Russell Wilson: Steph Curry Aaron Rodgers : James Harden Lebron James: Peyton Manning
I'm a football outsider, but the sense I get is the NBA media are much more hypebeasts than the NFL media.
if he averages 30-35+ points over these brutal stretch of games and/or if he goes 5-0...i think he's a favorite to win it...
A part of me doesn't want James to win it so he can reveal a Hakeem-esque performance against Curry in the WCF....would be sweet as hell
Um, what about the '94 season where Hakeem not only won the MVP, but then went on to dominate in the playoffs as well??
Haha. That's fine too. Whether he wins it or not, I hope he turns it up in the playoffs. That's all I want this year.
Football is actually worse. The difference is they hype players who don't even matter. Tebow and Michael Sam for example.
This year it boils down to a 3 guy race for MVP; Curry, Harden, and Westbrook. Legitimate arguments can be made for all 3 of them. They all have their own weakness and strength. But it's going to be determined by each voter's opinion. I'm sure if Curry or Westbrook were playing for Houston, we'd be touting them as MVP candidates too. But the case for Harden is intriguing. He has a respectable FG%, solid 3pt FG %, he is in the top 10 of assist as a SG, he has an ability to drive it to the basket or shoot it from the outside, he plays defense, he's had a revolving rotation because of injuries (in spite of the injuries the team has the 2nd best record in the West).
No. This race is now down to Curry and Harden. Westbrook is no longer in the picture in most peoples' minds. He'll be third. While Harden should win, most of the media (who do the voting) seem to be giving Curry the edge unfortunately. Hope that Harden goes off the last week and wins it.
