I think that's part of it, but also I'd say we need to thank Coach K. Harden's stint with Team USA really seems to have matured his game more
Sorry for the double post, but you can clearly tell the STUPID bloggers apart from the Intelligent ones. STUPID bloggers are ones that go way to one side of the spectrum and don't even understand the question to begin with. MVP of THIS year! Not last year. First 5 games, Harden has hustled harder, played better Defense, passed smarter and taken over games. He is on another level right now. I hope he can keep it up. And if he does and the Rockets end up with a better record than last year... He should be in the running for MVP.
Haha It's like none of those morons watched any of the 5 games this season. 'Hey but I saw some video about Harden playing bad defense and uhh everyone says he sucks so no MVP'
Relax. It's still a "thing" to hate the Rockets and Harden in particular. If these guys actually did what they are paid to do, ie. watch games and not rely on what public opinion, then they will see how wrong they are. The whole "Harden doesnt play defense" is so unfair. Yes, he was, at times, horrendous defensively last season but so were Irving, Love and so many other players. Just because some loser spent hours making a "Harden: Defensive Juggernaut, doesn't mean that its how he plays all the time, especially not how he has been playing this season. Rockets should keep doing what they have been doing; tune out the media and focus on themselves and the team. Eventually the hate will die out and the fast way to do this is by winning games.
The only thing that will change anyone's mind is winning. It's that simple. I could care less what these people think they are just people. I don't think any of them were ever even in the NBA, so why do we care what they think again? This is the same thing I've been saying about the whole preseason rankings thing. You had all these people crying because we were ranked low, season started we are winning we are rank a lot higher. These commentators are very simple, they offer little insight and don't know much about individual teams so in order to garner respect and make a lot of noise. Harden will have to continue this way of playing for the entire season in order for them to give him a little respect. They don't support anything until actually happens.
I would also add that if Harden were to ever win MVP this would be the year. Lebron is off to a slow start and trying to pick the best way to help his team win (and there will always be a tendency to find every opportunity to give it to someone other than the world's best player). Durant is hurt for a month. The Spurs don't rely on any one person enough. Davis' Pelicans aren't good enough. But really, It will come down to who has the best numbers on one of the best teams in the league.
people were hating on the Rockets and saying we would finish 7th, 8th, or miss the playoffs. And we were 12-15 on the power rankings. The Rockets are now 5-0. Now people hating that Beard doesnt play defense and doesnt deserve MVP. What do you think will happen?
Shaun Powell: "First: Harden must actually win the scoring championship, and there will be a handful of players with a say in that. Second: The Rockets must actually win 60-something games and make a strong bid for best record in the regular-season, tough to do in the West. Finally: Even if all of the above rings true, should we place little to no weight on playing defense?" It seems like he's putting pre-conditions on Harden being eligible to being considered for the MVP that he's not going to put on other players. WHY does he have to win the scoring championship? Is 2nd in scoring not good enough? Why does he have to lead the league? Does anybody who wins the MVP have to lead the league in scoring? WHY do the Rockets have to win 60+ games for Harden to be considered for the MVP? I mean, wtf? Does any player who wins the MVP have to play on a team that wins over 60 games? Judging by those two criteria, NOBODY was eligible to win the MVP last year. The only team to win at least 60 games was the Spurs, and no player on the Spurs lead the league in scoring. His criteria is so unbelievably stupid.
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This is why voulgaris said Harden had no chance of winning mvp, the narrative is too strong and half the voters dont watch the games.
Lol and these are the guys that will be voting. No way he wins this year, no matter the performance. They will continue to say the same $%# till the end of the year until Harden changes the narrative from "No defense" to "Can he win a ring this year?"
Harden doesn't need to prove anything to these guys. 4 words... Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. Both defensive juggernauts.
I don't know why Sekou Smith continues to have a job in NBA TV. He's unlikeable, has a weird squashed face, and never really contributes anything to the discussion. That podcast of his with Lang Whitaker and Rick Fox absolutely sucks. At this point, who gives a flying **** about what Sekou Smith thinks?
He has to sustain this over the course of the season and lead the Rockets to one of the top records in the West. But if he does, how can he not be in the discussion for MVP? These beat writers need to get over themselves.
This. Nothing else needs to be said. When one of those idiots mentions this again, someone should just say NASH. And keep moving. It isn't who is the best player in the league. It's who had the biggest impact. Nash was never better than Kobe Bryant. But Nash made an impact in every single game, and without him, his team would be nothing. It doesn't matter HOW you make an impact, so long as that impact is significant and obvious.
