Harden does shoot more FT than Kobe. I acknowledge Harden's stats look good. But my main point is the lack of variety in Harden's scoring makes him less enjoyable to watch. Honestly in every game he really just does the same 2 or 3 things over and over. Again not saying it's not efficient but it's just not as fun to watch comparing to other top scorers out there.
lol the only reason our efficiency drops is because for some reason Harden is the only superstar that shoots less free throws in the playoffs. The refs just stop calling obvious fouls. The league is a joke and rigged. Harden should ask for a trade to LA he'd average 50 a game in the playoffs with the Lakers calls. Go back and watch game 1 versus the warriors how many free throws should he have shot that day. Just look at each matchup we play against warriors weird stuff always happens and yet he's the only one that has even competed against them.
I bet when it's time for recess, he gets a sudden tummy ache to stay inside where it's safe Narcs always do
It is NOT Media bias, they only report on what is going on, if negative things are happening, their job is to report on it. Right now we have a Prima Donna player who wants out, and who can't follow the rules, who also puts himself above all others. Until that is resolved the media will report the truth. Some people don't like that.....like the Orange Moron in the Whitehouse - as an example.....but we as a culture need to stop BLAMING the media for doing their job. If you don't like it, ignore it or don't read it... But let's not excuse those that are CAUSING the negativity - that is being reported.......this is 100% on them... DD
If you want to look at just numbers sure Harden shoots more free throws than Kobe, but you can't really look at it that way. harden has the highest usage rate in nba history and also drives to basket significantly more than any other star you have ever seen cuz he never takes a mid range. If you factor in free throw per drive or per possession he's probably way below every star you ever seen. Like you would naturally expect someone to shoot more free throws if they are the teams only source of offense. but if you look in playoffs it will tell a completely different story.
Well, f$#k. Four pages in and no one has yet stepped up. I guess I'm the one who's going to do this. First, though: GREAT post, @JMAD21. Love the passion and I feel that same weariness about the way we're treated in the national media. Which brings me to the task at hand: It's "biased" media — not "bias" media.* *Bias is a noun or a verb, but not an adjective. The media is biased, and their bias shows.
True, partially. It's media bias if the quality of what they report is almost always negative (and has been for years) and the quantity of the negativity they report is high. They were never there to back Harden or Houston during the better times. That's the very definition of bias. Now that Harden is actually sabotaging the team the media is just the boy who cried wolf. Being selective about which truth you report is bias, though you can still argue that "what we report is true". Well yeah, there's a thing called "omission". And that's why politics are the way they are.
Lol okay, go ahead and tell me why I feel a certain way! You can disagree with my assertion that the media is anti-Houston. But don’t put your issues with the team on me!
This is not accurate because of the role that relationships and business ties play in how media covers things. Example: Kyle Kuzma is a CAA client; Kyle Kuzma is an ok NBA role player but because many ESPN on air talent are also represented by CAA Kyle Kuzma gets a large amount of positive coverage there because of his agent's relationships. James Harden has no agent. He has no one that can pull strings for him and squash stories or use leverage to block things coming out or plant good stories for him that make him look better. Another example of how this can be effective is the Jimmy Butler situation on the Timberwolves. During that saga Butler threw tantrums similar to what Harden is doing now, he avoided team activities and worked out at Lifetime instead, he blew up a practice, and then ended up sitting out games with "general soreness". BUT, his agent set up the interview with Rachel Nichols/ESPN in advance of him torching the practice so she just conveniently flew out the day before and then an interview is conducted right after the practice where she playfully goes along with the Butler narrative that the practice was no big deal and Jimmy is just the ultimate competitor and wants to win at the highest level, he loves his teammates and wants to set a great example for them etc. Have you heard the name Bernie Lee before? Maybe, maybe not, but ESPN sure has. That is why media bias matters. If Harden had an agent right now he is not getting flooded with hit pieces because that agent is threatening ESPN to give all the scoops to Shams instead if they don't tone this **** down.
Bias comes from the audience being presented to and catering to that.. Rockets = not a lot of fans Lakers = lots of fans
Yup We gave him the keys to the whole operation and he was protected and privelaged as if he were LeBron or something Custom practice schedules, separate Harden-only rules, the whole NBA icon deal ... He is in a situation of his own making, but unlike LeBron, he has never embraced the leadership burden that comes with that icon-level freedom and control He wants all the perks while shirking all of the responsibility Thus he is an 'empty' superstar in terms of elite tangible production but only a negative intangibles effect on the team Almost a Jay Cutler or Jeff George style QB in the NBA ... Posts all the numbers, can make hardest throws look effortless ... But despised by his own teammates for refusing to grow up and lead his team on and off the court
This is such an excellent point. It had honestly never occurred to me before that Harden doesn't have an agent who's adept at media relations to run interference for him. I'm sure he thinks he's saving money by using him mom as his agent, but I have to wonder how much those savings are offset by the continuing anti-Harden bias. It permeates all levels of sports media and it seems like you can count the pro-Harden media voices on one hand.
Looked at the stats. He still averaged a lot of fta in the playoffs. The bigger drops were his 3pt fg% and ts% and turnovers going up while pt averages going down.
With sports betting, subverting expectations lets some people make bank. Underdogs could get a few games here and there. Ads of fan duels and draft kings are everywhere.
I watch Luka. Ya he has a lot of similar moves to Harden but the difference is he actually does other things like *gasp* post moves. Variance is more enjoyable to viewers of the game. If Luka over the next decade narrows his game down to just step backs and straight line drives while never winning a ring and being notorious for hunting fouls, he will be on the bad side of the media.
Giannis is so far going down the same trajectory of Harden. Great regular season player, lacking playoff performance.
