The “give me Harden over FVV” takes are embarrassing

This entire thread is Asian Sensation hating on Harden on his alt account because Harden took away the spotlight from his idol Jerry Lin.

 

Not much to argue regarding regular season Harden. Even in the playoffs he is going to have great games, he always has. The big question will be can he have a great game when his back is against the wall? That's what his career has been judged on, that and some idiotic defensive lapse video.

 

Harden is a legend. 2nd best player of all time.

The 2025 version Harden wasn't in play in 2023.

The 2025 version of the Rockets is better than the 2025 Clippers.

Do we have to do this freakish alternative universe scenario every time Harden has a good or bad game?

Both sides are so butt hurt over an outcome that never happened and, regardless of how FVV is playing, worked out pretty well for both sides.

L.E.T. I.T. G.O.

 

Is that why he hates him so much? It never made sense but i guess that could be why

 

No. The big question as it pertains to this thread is why is Harden being compared to a role player. I mean this is the type of argument that people make that caused LeBron to go to Miami and KD to go to Warriors. I mean if Harden had decided to join the Warriors back then in the Shaun Livingston role, are you going to consider him a greater player because he would have multiple rings now?

 

It's the other way around. Why are people comparing FVV to Harden?

If Harden were playing this well two years ago, it would be a different conversation. I don't think he'd even have considered the Rockets. He would have had better options and the Rockets are not even in the running. I don't understand the infatuation with comparing Harden with FVV, for or against. It's not even apples/oranges. It's steak and oranges. They are both good but should never be brought up in the same sentence.

 

This thread was started this year. And again answer my question. If Harden had went to the Warriors alongside KD in 2016 and won several titles, would you consider him a better player than he is perceived right now?

 

History would look on him more favorably, particularly the uninformed public.

 

Don't care about the FVV comparison. It doesn't matter and it is irrelevant to me despite the thread purpose.

Regarding James, I'm just stating facts of how people view his career. He has been judged of coming up incredibly short when it mattered most. As a Harden fan you may disagree with it, but it's what his career has been judged by. He comes up big these playoffs and he will be able to shake off that label. And if he won multiple rings playing the Shaun role, he obviously would be viewed as an individual that couldn't get it done on his own. It's how KD is viewed.

 

To me, the playoff failures of Harden as a Rocket has been talked about so much it's basically beating a dead horse at this point. And even if he beats the Lakers with LeBron and Luka and then beat OKC and then lose in the WCFs again, you are right that many Rockets fans would still view him as a guy who fails in the playoffs, because that's how everyone who don't win a championship is always viewed. So I think it's not really even a question worth talking about.

But the comparison to FVV is funny because it's essentially the winning role player vs lesser-winning star debate. Like would you take championship year Robert Horry over prime CP3? Barkley? Jimmy Butler? Harden? Clearly more interesting than whether players like Harden or Barkley or Luka failing in the playoffs year after year.

 

We saw Harden play last week and we saw Fred play yesterday. Which one looks washed to you? Can’t believe this is even a debate. Fred was probably the better choice last year as a culture setter, but there’s no doubt who’s the better player. Now that we have culture coming out of our ass, we need players. Guys that can knock down open shots. Replacing Fred with Harden would be a huge upgrade for this team at a real position of need. Wonder if James is interested in another go around with Houston.

 

JH has been incredible this season. In hindsight, you would absolutely pick JH over FVV.

I rooting for the Clippers to get pass the Nuggets and the Thunder.

 

Harden has never missed the playoffs…16 straight years

his playoff streak about to be a high school junior

 

You know. . . .with the shine coming off Morey's star . . .after his stint in Philly
People maybe more kind to Harden
People point out the teams he went to and how they failed
I would also point out how they each fell off a cliff when he left

Clippers, Philly and Nets failure was more injuries than anything

Rocket River

 

Harden made Morey’s career

u really gotta be a lowdown dirty snake to screw someone on a contract u had such a long and close relationship with…especially when your master plan was to hand that money to a significantly worse player in Paul George who’s just as old…Harden even took a pay cut the previous season to help Morey build the team, and he still did him dirty like that

that is some despicable backstabbing behavior

 

I honestly gave MOREY alot of leeway
Even in the philly situation I figured he simply over promised and could not deliver
(thought Ownership got cold feet and made him go back on his word)
Now . . . not so much. . . . .now maybe he just dumb

In Houston I thought he was finding diamonds in the rough
when the reality is Harden was making players look better than they probably were
(judging how they were not as good outside of Houston)

So yea. . . .Harden probably did make Morey's career and reputation better than it should have been
Maybe the Fail in Houston was more management than we wanted to believe

Honestly . .. I have watched three coaches get fired this season
2 of which seems like their management was definitely suspect (Suns and Nuggets)

Rocket River

 

It's not a debate. Nobody, except the OP, is arguing that FVV is better than Harden in 2025. However, in 2023 it wasn't so clear. But in 2023 they valued building culture, wanted salary cap flexibility, and wanted to see what they had with their young core.

In 2023, why did they hire FVV?
1. Build Culture (check)
2. Cap flexibility (check, FVV's contract is team option this summer)
3. Grow the young core (pending, after this playoff run, they'll know more.

Starting from 2023, the strategy has worked ...without Harden. Credit due.

 

This isn’t a conversation. It’s not…a conversation. It’s lunacy to compare the 2

the only thing one can bring up is Hardens cancer behavior but even that seems to have dissipated and brought him to reality. He took a payout on the clips

I also keep forgetting that FVV is paid 40 mil this year


I can’t wrap my head around it

 

Damn, brings back memories of ‘18-‘19 season with him vs. Giannis.