Cool. Now go watch the Nets game and the Lakers game and tell me that Harden has a chance to go 4 rounds looking like that against the best competition there is. Again, I'm NOT a Harden hater. I sort of kind of like the guy, but more importantly for me when I talk about analyzing his game I respect the hell out of him and think he gets **** on way too much by the media talking heads for their own purposes. I've never said anything other than Harden is a super star and it's stupid to yell about his lack of rings when he only really had 2 chances at 1- one of which when he was a 20 YO baby in the league and the other of which saw his star teammate go down when the team was up 3-2 against a dynastic Warrior team. So, yeah, those stats lack context if you are trying to sell the idea that Harden is still as good as he's ever been in his career.
I’m not really sure how me posting those stats has anything to do with my belief in his capability to go 4 rounds. There are players with better stats than Harden this year that I don’t think are going 4 rounds. I would say those stats do more to temper the “eye test” idea that he has fallen WAY off and that he isn’t helping this team. He may not look the same but his effectiveness in creating high end offense is still very much there. His teammates are performing MUCH better with him than they were before he got there. And the isolation stats were provided because someone really smart earlier in this thread said Harden is no where near as good as Durant or Kyrie in isolation any more. Even his biggest fans would admit….
You have to look at isolation stats in the proper context. I think we can all agree that Harden is currently quite selective with regards to his isolation attempts. He won't try it unless he has a favorable matchup (i.e. being guarded by opposing centers). Durant and Irving don't care who guards them.
Harden was 1st in isolation possessions per game in Brooklyn and is 1st in isolations per game in Philly. Quite selective? So your argument based all on a computer brain that has seen and memorized every isolation possession by these 3 players… Harden picks on favorable matchups so much more frequently than the other 2 to be able to keep up with or better their isolation PPP numbers?
Yes, Harden is quite selective in his isolation attempts. It's laughable that you're questioning this.
I think that the "decline" is not as severe as being reported. I think also Harden has CHANGED his game significantly since 2020 Some maybe Physically initiated Unable to do what he use to do Others Maybe simply attempting to fit I *don't* think his hamstring is as it was. . . and Unfortunately . . . I *doubt* it ever will be Hamstrings are like that . . . . CP3 had the problem for a few years Harden *can* make those changes CP3 did . . .. and they *may* make a difference When I talk about who is older and better and probably have a better next 4 yrs I am simply pointing out that that group is 1. small and 2. Elite Harden will still be better than like 80% of the players in the NBA If not 90% In order for Brooklyn to win this year . .. . they need their role players to step up With a Hobbled Harden and No Kyrie . . . .. they needed a little more from the role players The same thing has to happen in Philly If Maxey is not getting 20 Harris is not getting 20 SOMEONE has to get some significant contribution HArden can be 26 9 9 Embiid can be 40 13 4 That still won't win a series . .. . Rocket River
Houston Harden is indeed gone. Different Teammates Different Schemes Harden needs to make some adjustments. . but we will see I really want Sam Cassell in his ear about the midrange jumper Rocket River
Pretty funny how the man has "cooled off," and is still averaging 22/10/7. That's a career year for most guards.
and unlike westbrook and doncic( to a lesser extent) putting up those numbers at above league average efficency
The silence in this thread tonight was quite predictable. Don’t worry yourselves guys. This was one of the games that doesn’t matter. Come back when they lose or Harden sucks. Those are the games that count.
I mean, you're just picking and choosing bad games and then saying what you said. Let's take Giannis, for example. Against the Magic on 11/22, he went 4-12 (0-4 from 3) and had 12 points. On 12/08 against the Heat, he had 15/6/4 on 4-13 shooting. If I said "Now go watch the Magic game and the Heat game and tell me that Giannis has a chance to go 4 rounds looking like that against the best competition there is," what would I be doing? Picking and choosing bad games to drive a narrative. Harden absolutely looked terrible in those two games you listed, yes, but no one is perfect.
It's so strange to me that he can't quite be as consistent as he was, any more. When Harden looks bad, he looks absolutely scrub-level. Yet when he looks good, he looks like he's the one who's the MVP candidate, not Embiid. He has a legit MVP candidate next to him, so you'd think he'd be efficient on a daily basis.
He should have just told his team not to foul James or Joel. Surely would have won the game last night
