[The Ringer] Kevin O'Conner Defends James Harden, Hates Russell Westbrook

So that explains most of his career? We had the ultimate version of westbrook mid season I hope we get him back. You can't blame rust on him making lazy passes and terrible shot selection. Westbrook didn't get better as a player midseason this year, he simple bought into his skill set. Same thing with Dwight Howard.

He has a skill set that he doesn't utilize as much as he should because he can't accept the fact he sucks at the other things.

 

Wouldn't blame anyone.

Wouldn't defend anyone.

 

I don't know if its really that Harden is hated, or maybe just a continuation of Houston Rocket hate and or disrespect. I came up in the Hakeem era. I don't know if the disrespect has always been with this organization. Through most of his career, Hakeem didn't receive much respect from the media. Only Walton and a small few of the other commentators talked about Hakeem's greatness. Mostly it was the players who would praise him. And even after the asterisked Championships, MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, he wasn't included as one of current great players of his time by the national media. Yes he was an All Star and got notice during nationally televised games, but he was rarely mentioned during other games or discussions as were lesser centers and Stars of the time. Just ask @tinman about the Sports Illustrated cover snub. It was the first time ever that the NBA Champion didn't make the cover. Paraphrasing...but Sports Illustrated basically said, no one cares that the Rockets won the title.

 

the media controls everyone's minds . especially the sensitive nba fans.
it works, nobody thought Michael Jordan played in the 1995 playoffs because the media keeps lying that he didn't, except for Michael Jordan, who played in the 1995 playoffs.

 

His passes were off target, not lazy. Big difference and yes that can be attributed to rust

 

Did everyone forget hes an "MVP" because "triple dOubLe"!

 

I don’t care who wins it, just need the same performance from Russ minus 3 TO’s abs plus 4 trips to the line. We got this.

 

2020 playoff 3PT%...

Eric Gordon: .186
Lu Dort: .184

 

All of a sudden players like rivers and b-Mac have become unplayable smh.

 

Traded multiple first round picks for a worse player LMAO

 

I'm really disappointed in him.

 

The Westbrook trade was the beginning of the end. Get ready for more quality moves from boy GM Fertitta. Gonna be a long decade.

 

No. But they will if we lose tonight.

 

Do you really think a couple weeks of not playing a game that you been playing your entire life will make you a terrible passer? It can explain your shot being off but what was happening there was insane. Also he did go to practice so it wasn't like he just hasn't touched a basketball in a month.

 

Just look at the video comments, everyone is salivating at the idea that Harden loses this game. All the hate is on Harden even though Westbrook was the one that kept turning key possessions over.

These kinds of Harden haters would celebrate like it's the 4th of July if Harden was shot by the police.

 

I think you mean: And even after the "asterisked" Championships...

 

Are we forgetting that for the first half of the NBA year, Harden was basically the greatest player to ever live...and since December, Westbrook was arguably the best player in the NBA before his quad injury?

I think a lot of people in a few years are going to look back and miss what we have now.