None of this matters. Harden has not had a great performance in eliminating an opposing team in a late playoff round. He needs more games like that. Putting up impressive stats but ultimately not winning is not going to change an MVP-level player's playoff reputation. Arguing that he has had better looking overall averages than Curry in the playoffs is not a compelling counter-argument. This is the history he's dealing with: 2015: round 2 against Clippers: 12-40 in final two games of the series round 3 against Warriors: 2-11 and 12 turnovers in game 5, losing series 1-4 2016: eliminated in round 1 2017: round 2 against Spurs: 2-11 from field, 1.4 GmScr and -28 for game, eliminated 2018: round 2 against Jass: 15-44 and 2-14 from 3 in final 2 games round 3 against Warriors: lost last 2 games, 22-53 from field, -19 and -13 in those games. Second halves -32 and -22. 2019: round 2 against Warriors: loses last 2 games after Warriors' best player goes down. Game 6 at home final quarter: 4 turnovers, -9. 2020: round 2 against Lakers: eliminated after 4 straight losses. -29 in final game.
why do yall just single out one game out of random series tho. yea he didnt play well in game 6 of the clippers series and other random games, but balled out in game 7 and sent cp3 home. Why do we ALWAYS overlook curry constantly getting help from his teammates( LIKE IT HAPPENS WAY MORE WITH CURRY), but always use game 6 againist the clippers as a negative againist harden's career. I have seen curry miss playoff games and the warriors still go up 2-0 in the second round without him. Nobody ever said, "do the warriors need curry" like they did with harden when he was injured againist the bucks and nets won the first 2 games. Their is an inherrent bias in favor of curry and casuals and media always just magically happen to overlook his faults and always praise his strengths. If james haden missed the playoffs in a season where their was a play-in tournament he would have been DESTROYED not only by the media but here on clutchfans. On the other hand curry is rewarded with a top 3 mvp finish. smh James Harden is the most hated player in league history cp3 choked many times against the grizzlies in back to back playoffs when the clippers had 2-0 leads in both seasons, againist okc in 2014 i think, and then againist us. probably many more in new orleans days. But that is never brought up( he is this great leader). James Harden is the most picked on player in the league
“Single out” — I literally went through every series after the first round as a Rocket, and how they each ended. How is that randomly singling out?
you are picking out one or a handful of games in his career tho, if i had an agenda towards a certain player i could do that for anybody lol. Harden literrally has 34x 35 point games in the playoffs. 1 away from hakeem's all-time rockets record. that took me 30 seconds to look up. But thats never brought up. Only his negatives, harden before he got injured was playing great, hell he has been playing great all year when he is healthy but the media never gives him credit, all they do is **** on the guy. The rockets after how they treated harden flat out do not deserve another franchise player PERIOD. Harden would score 40 in a win and you guys would find a reason to hate the guy
Man. Harden haters have gotten vocal and emboldened. They love and pray for people to be hurt and isht Rocket River.
damn, guess klay is also better than harden. and everyone on the warriors apparently. i'm sure if harden put up 23/5/4 on 54 TS% to steph's 35/7/6 on 59 TS% but the rockets somehow won, you'd be saying harden was better. hell, in the amazing game 6 where steph so thoroughly destroyed harden, he had fewer points, rebounds, and assists and had 3 more turnovers than steals compared to 2 for harden. the fact that klay went 7/13 and iggy 5/8 on 3's (steph was 4/11) and kept the game tied while steph was scoreless and KD carried the team for 4.75 games while steph did as close to nothing as you can do for a superstar wasn't what helped the warriors win (steph didn't even beat draymond in game score). if KD and steph are so much better, why was it a close series at all, considering they had 2 all-star teammates and cp3 looked pretty bad? why were they down 3-2 the year before and in need of injury help? i would think a team with the 2 best players and 2 additional all-star teammates would easily sweep a series or maybe just a gentleman's sweep. uhh, 2019 warriors was almost inarguably the best series of harden's career. he actually was at his best. what are you even talking about? and his overall numbers from last year's playoffs (basically even in both series) are actually the best of his career and would match the best of steph's career as well.
you're starting to lose it again on the harden front. you were getting better for a while. if he wins, his stats aren't good enough. if his stats are good enough, then it's just that he lost. and it's really hard to spin harden's last 3 playoffs as anything other than very good.
Joe Harris has been the biggest disappointment these past 2 games. Hopefully he shows up the next 2-3 games so that the Nets have some chance to win this.
I read his post as Harden's perception won't change until he wins a championship and I agree. His perception is what it is. Injuries suck. Sure, if they were all healthy BKN should be the favorite to win it all...but they aren't. 15 years from now people won't give BKN an imaginary championship for this run. No one cares about injuries when talking about championships and no one will have any sympathy for the injuries. No one is going to care about his stats if the result is an L. Until he wins that chip people will see him as someone that couldn't win games when they mattered and that's just the gift and the curse of being a superstar player. He knows that. That's why he went to Brooklyn. I think the main thing to take from this is unless he comes back and wins this series for BKN, the perception about him isn't going to change until he wins. Putting up amazing stats in series he ultimately loses doesn't mean much in the grand scheme when people are talking about legacies. Personally that's why I liked the post just because yeah, the stats when talking about championships are going to be ignored if you ain't winning them. Harden still has a chance though...him and Durant could make the finals alone if he's healthy enough...but people DGAF about injuries man. I learned this from the Yao days. Harden could come back, CLEARLY be hurt and playing hurt, and people will judge him as if he's 100% Just how it goes.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/pa...ames-harden-massive-chance-rewrite-reputation Zach Lowe broke it down extremely well last year IMO. Some Harden fans wont agree with parts of it, but the case he makes is clear and convincing to even a lot of Rocket's fans. Harden's legacy/reputation is clouded by his past playoff performances. While I personally enjoyed watching the Nets and Harden on from a basketball perspective, I also repeatedly stated during the regular season, that none of it matters until the playoffs. The Nets and Harden might not be finished just yet, though I'm doubtful. But if they are... Harden will have another shot next year... to rewrite his playoff reputation.
This is ridiculous. If anything, true basketball fans acknowledge heart and soul when they see it. Yao got a pass fr not winning because everybody and their moms knew how much heart and effort he put into the game. Every bodies heart was broken when they realized that his body couldn't hold up. BTW., the team with Luis Scola und Shane Battier is still one of the most beloved in Rockets history - despite the lack of success. Same couldn't be said about T-Mac. I still remember the drama when he would basically tell each morning to the staff whether he can suit up or not. Harden though - please. I vividly remember him playing hot potatoe during crunch time when CP3 went out. The same game when Steph Currys eyes literally lit up because it was HIS time. And then he killed us with some dagger 3s while Harden passed up open shots.
I am talking about his playoff reputation and the sort of games he needs to improve it. I demonstrated the lack of such games in his playoff career — a long litany of disappointing ends to every playoff series after round 1. It’s not cherry-picking when I’m literally pointing out the end results of every series. The point here isn’t to dog on Harden. You are living in fantasy land if you think Harden has nothing left to prove, playoff-wise.
Yes, but he failed to be at his best when it mattered the most. KD goes down, does Harden take over to win game 5 and give his team two chances to win the series? No, he’s not able to do so. And I already cited how game 6 ended. His best career playoff series ends in a game 6 loss at home with four 4th quarter turnovers. And you are telling me the guy has nothing left to prove? Get real.
The anti-Harden clan was no where to be seen towards the end of the season and through the completion of round 1. Not a god damn peep. For good reason. A couple of injuries happen and their hate Harden erections have been permanently set to diamond cutter and they are back! I’m guessing a couple may have even had to consult their doctor for an erection lasting more than a few hours. Pretty funny.
He's rushing his shot, he's a set shooter not off the dribble shooter. The team is not moving the ball that great.
Kyrie and KD are trying too hard to dismember the Bucks. Both tempos are good but they need to mix it up so the role players can catch up.
