I watched the games and I can report with 100% certainty, Harden never even crossed half court 1 time all season to even attempt to play defense. Cherry picked all year for his stats.
Which is my point... The correct percentage of times that **** happened is more in the 1% range, just like the amount of time his defense was **** is less than the amount when his defense was just fine. Yet over and over we have to read how James Harden doesn't deserve this or that because he didn't play ANY defense. Moronic.
So we agree. Houston is not a top FA destination. Theyve added no one who is fully capable of even bein the 2nd All Star. But maybe next offseason right?
Golden drafted their stars...and with a bit of luck ALL of them panned out and gelled. It took Kerr's ability to craft a highly efficient offense to bring out their best against the league. Last year, down the stretch, they took wins for granted as they were sloppy and careless. Its what cost them a title. Their biggest FA signing ever is Durant. And Durant only came because they are built to win titles NOW. If Houston didnt play like ish last year...put up a good fight in the playoffs...Howard mightve stayed, and Durant may have considered teaming up with Harden and Howard...That never materialized. History wont look kindly on Durant if he fails to win MULTIPLE championships. Whatever Harden does is just gravy...
...and? That just means people misjudged the Trail Blazers. If All-NBA was a team award, then sure, give it to Lillard. But Harden objectively had the better individual season by virtually any measure, which is what the award is, an individual award. The "Blazers overcoming all the odds!" narrative is the only reason Lillard was voted in over Harden, not because of actual performance.
Nobody misjudged them. They were VERY BAD to start the season. But then they came together and vastly overachieved, and that's a lot of credit to their coaching and best players. With Lililard being their best player, you have to give him a lot of credit. All-NBA was not always about individual greatness. Kobe didn't make first team every year, nor was Lebron. Team performance matters. Lebron averaged 31.4 points, 7 boards, 6.6 dimes and didn't get first team in 05-06. Ask yourself why. Statistical analysis is all fine and dandy, but it has to encompass team performance somehow b/c that individual performance has to affect your team.
It's all relative really. We know we had no chance at Durant if winning was his main priority. If playing with his pals was his priority than maybe he'd be here instead of there.
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I'm not saying Lillard does not deserve a lot of credit, because of course he does. He had a great season. Just, objectively, not as good as Harden's. In virtually any other year and with virtually any other player, a player with Harden's numbers gets on an All-NBA team, and that's hardly even debatable. I'm not advocating he should have made 1st Team, just a team. Unless Harden is held responsible for Dwight, Brewer, Terry, Lawson, Jones, and Smith all having the worst year of their careers, and DMo getting injured, in which case, I would say that's silly. "Team success" can't be a thing if it all comes back to just one player.