ESPN is trying to trick Harden into attacking Kawhi head on instead of playing team ball for game 5

how many assists vs. Kashi?

Oh that's right it's not important*

(*unless it's a WB trip-dub)

 

2 Questions regarding this...

1) Why are assists ignored?

2) If the graphic was Westbrook and Kawhi instead, would ESPN have ignored assists?

 

Wait, you're trying to tell me that the reigning back to back defensive player of the year defends better than 40 year old Manu Ginobili? Shocking!

 

There's no freaking way that was written with the intention of influencing Harden's play.

At worst, it was written to prop up and publicize Leonard as a great defender, which he objectively is.

 

Well, yeah, and to make Harden appear unworthy of consideration as an MVP. I've noticed that all the media hype has now turned to "Best in the league: Lebron, Durant, or Kawhi?" Harden is a complete afterthought and even the vaunted Westbrook with his historic triple double season is now memory-holed.

 

Hopefully that will just make Harden and the Rockets continue to work to get Kawhi off of him. Kawhi's a great defender. If he's guarding James, it only makes sense to run a pick. If he's not, don't run a pick with his man.

Even with Danny Green guarding James, or Manu, the Rockets run the PnR anyway to (1) get a worse defender on James, (2) force some sort of defensive rotation.

That's how the Rockets play.

 

#mediaconspiracy

 

If Leonard is that impactful then he needs to man-up and check Harden 24/7. We saw Hakeem do it to Ewing, Robinson and Shaq.

 

I hope so. Harden would shred him to pieces.

Roberson on the other hand is frightening on defense.

For me, Roberson is clearly the better defender of the two.

 

Maybe not....

But I've seen the media ruin a player before, that player is Dwight Howard. The media started wanting him to have some dominant low post game even though that's never been his game. He started training with Kareem then Hakeem and well...it didn't work, did it? Yet you still heard about how Dwight needs to get 30 ppg or something. Now Dwight legit believes he needs the ball in the post...when his entire career would have been fine if he continued to be the clean-up big man.

EDIT: Also, this is all setting up the narrative for Kawhi to win MVP next year.

 

MEDIA CONSPIRACY

 

My thoughts exactly

 

The media didn't ruin Dwight, c'mon man.

Who else other than Shaq was clamoring for Dwight to be some dominant low post big? Dwight does not want to be some clean-up big, and it's not because of the media. It's because he's delusional about his own abilities.

 

The media's always trying to downplay Harden's abilities. Sad!

 

1) Harden is much more headstrong than Dwight. He's gonna play his game regardless.

2) Correct, Kawhi is the frontrunner for MVP next season. It'll be between him and Westbrook in all likelihood. He came on down the stretch of the season as the media darling this year. Now, having a big playoffs, He's the media's new guy.

 

x2

x3

 

It's not easy building, growing, supporting, resuscitating, saving, your narratives.

 

Harden can blow by both imo, the best defender on Harden was Wesley Matthews when we played portland