Are we gonna keep on living in a fantasy world in which Harden isn't > Evans?

I think he's in that category with Horford (who is overrated imo) and Mayo because he's clearly not in the bottom group of Morrison, Dunleavy, and Miles, and Horford and Mayo are clearly a notch below Derron, Pau, Melo. Where would Favors go? All I'm saying is his potential at this point and career path looks to be middle of the pack of #3 picks, not that of busts yet and not that of stars yet.

As for draft breakouts, it's more about finding gems ranked below. You are being unfair for blaming the Thunder when all those 10+ drafted prospects were finds. You should rank Harden vs other top picks rated in that draft like: Thabeet, Griffin, Rubio, Flynn, Jordan Hill, Curry, Rozan. And I'm not sure about Jennings...I like him a lot, but he's very flawed and not leaps and bounds above Harden, but we're just getting into minutia.

And while top 3 picks are supposed to be stars, the history isn't that consistent.

 

What's wrong with being a 3rd option? Shane Battier was the 3rd option and he got more than 25 minutes of PT. Like I said before there are more than 60 possessions in a game, there's enough ball to go around. The reason why Harden wasn't seeing pT was because he couldn't surpass Sefalosha, not because WB and Durant were dominating the ball.

So what you're saying is if player A is doing what player B is doing, then they're equally important? Ok then, Kobe Bryant's job is to score and to dominate on D. Well Sasha Vujacic does the same thing, score and defend the other team's best player. I guess Kobe and Sasha are equally important to the Laker's success.

Its not what you do, its how well you do them. Harden has been the all around glue guy but he's not on the level of WB and Durant. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who thinks Harden is as important as Durant and WB to the Thunder.

 

Harden has talent, but because he plays with Durant and Westbrook, it hard for him to show it. If a team some how sign him away from the Thunder they are gonna get a stud.

 

Nothing is wrong with being a third option, except if you are a third option as a lottery pick player it severely hinders your growth, especially when you have to play with two other young players who do not share the ball. Harden couldn't surpass Sefolosha because he never had the opportunity to. Did Harden ever start for OKC in his first season? He started off as the bench and never had the chance to get play extended minutes.

That is what I'm saying, except you used a flawed analogy. Is Dwight more valuable than Nelson on the Magic? Sure, but Nelson is just as important to the Magic's success as Dwight.

It's the same for Otis Thorpe, Drexler and Sampson. Hakeem was the most important piece on the Rockets, but these 3 players were vital to the success of the Rockets.

Harden is vital to the Thunder's success, but that doesn't make him the most important player. That was what I have distinguished and what you failed to comprehend.

Then again, you thought Harden was a bust despite ignoring the circumstances that he was in.

 

don't think so. They might be another version of Steve Francis and Mobley