They don't realize it because they don't watch the games. The media only truly follows the media darling teams like the Lakers/Knicks/Bulls/Thunder/Warriors/etc., and everything they write about other teams are just what the general narrative is.
All i got from these supposedly reputable NBA writers is that NONE of them have actually watched more than one Rocket game this year. Couldn't have.....They are still sharing the same narrative that Harden sucks on defense when we all know that from the World Games until now, he's been awesome. This forum is the most overly critical it's ever been and pretty much everyone here would agree with that along with coaches and players who has played against him. Such lazy journalism as usually with today's media....no one cares about the truth; only what gets the most clicks and views.
Oh Lord, how much has the SG position has fallen. Back then a prime Vince Carter wasn't even the best SG in the league. Hell a prime Ray Allen couldn't sniff the top 3.
The Rockets play better as underdogs anyways. The fact that the two best teams in the west battled last night, but the game wasn't on any major network is hilarious. I love it.
At this point hardens total points rebounds and assists are a higher combined number then any single season of Vince carter. And that is with hardens low % this year. So I would think harden will bring his of up to 26-27 which would be 5 total combined then any season Vince has had. Harden is really really good people
Most of the writers who don't put Harden first don't realize that Harden is the main focus of any defense and is being doubled regularly, also playing without three starters for half a season now. Thompson has benefit of opposite defenses focusing more on Curry, and same with Matthews (Lillard). I guess context means nothing when you're hunting clicks.
The GM's know better, at least. http://www.nba.com/news/features/john_schuhmann/nba-com-2014-15-gm-survey/
Not really, actually. The fact that only 63% think it's Harden, somebody thinks Kevin Durant or Steph Curry is a shooting guard, and Kobe even getting 1 vote shows that a lot of them really don't know what they're talking about.
That was with a general assumption among many of them that he didn't play defense, and honestly at this point, it'd be 97% Harden, 3% Butler, I also think the pg vote would be closer to 50/50 CP3/Curry
Or you know, back then people were dumber and thought mid range jumpers were the best shot to be like MJ and ppg and steals showed how good you are offensively and defensively. Unless you were talking about that very brief point in time when you had Kobe, Tmac, Joe Johnson, Dwade and Brandon Roy performing at a high level.
Guys, These "journalists" don't watch basketball, except for their favorite teams. All other teams they find out about by reading other "journalists" or hearing on BSPN or Scrapcenter before they go to work. Insubordinate and churlish.