I thought we put the whole 'Harden doesn't play defense' argument to bed. Those Shaqtin a Fool YouTube compilations are like 2 years old now.
<<{{Official 2019-2020 NBA Thread - the season returns July 31-October 12. }}>
Oh @M.H.C. you can read this too... but I doubt facts will change your mind as it already seems to be made up
How James Harden Quietly Has Become an Elite Defender
James Harden of the Houston Rockets has become a punching bag for jokes and memes with his perceived disinterest in playing defense. However, this past sea...spacecityscoop.com
I wouldn't go as far as calling him "elite," but the narrative that Harden doesn't play defense is just willful ignorance at this point.
Nah big bro. My mind isn't made up. I'm about to pay better attention. If Harden consistently plays good defense like that then maybe everyone will forgive his offensive shenanigans lol. And I know I singled that boy Harden out(he's been an easy target, ignorant or otherwise) but for other MVP candidates as well.
Melo was player of the week, and I'm a Harden fan.
For over a year this dude believed in himself and his abilities, stayed in the lab working, staying ready with no guarantee of ever working again.
Also during that time you had TV talking heads, former players, analysts, unnamed sources from this team and that team, all these people telling us he was washed up and the league was done with him.
And all Melo did, when given a chance, was average 22 and 6 while helping the Blazers go 3-0. He earned that shit. #welcomebackMelo
I appreciate your honesty bro...
Your logic sounds as bad as an Apalachian redneck trying to defend Trump.
Man Harden has to put that argument to bed. Instead of trying to be the best offensive player in history, he should aim for making the all defensive team. He wants to be mentioned with the greats "forever" so he should have real goals. In that article Spider posted, it said, "Imagine if James Harden had more energy to put in on defense if he didn't have to carry such an offensive load" well the same applies on the defensive side. Imagine if Kawhi and Paul and others didn't have to put so much energy into defense, imagine what they could do offensively. I think that's a "dumb argument" again, this ain't football, there isn't an option to be on offense OR defense.
Both them Nighas need to go after the season
Would it sound bad if I hadn't singled out Harden though...
Cuz what I said applies to anybody. Replace Harden with any name you wish. Replace it with Curry, Lebron, Greek Freak, anybody. If you don't put effort in on defense you don't deserve a league award. Everybody knows Lebron hasn't been as good defensively in the past few years BUT he's been playing much better defensively( to his own admission) and guarantee he will walk away with that MVP over Harden who's averaging 40 this year.
Y'all gonna quit acting like these superstar players are also defensive specialists... none of them cats guard the opposing teams best offensive player.
The only defensive success that team had against Harden was with Patrick Beverly ole fouling ass... all 37 of his points that game came against players named everything but Beverly.
Vs Beverly, Harden went 0-6 with like 3 or 4 turnovers. His points in that game came against Kawhi and George, the so called defensive stoppers, and other Clippers players.... plus when it mattered most the "best defensive player in the game" was in the corner guarding PJ fuckin Tucker. That's why his ass wasn't in that clip of Harden's 4 point play that gave Pat Bev cookout legs and sent him to the bench with 6 fouls.
Harden even called them out on their shit afterwards too, saying how you gonna have all these elite defensive players on one team and they're either not guarding me head up or they're running at me in double/triple teams. This still pic is crazy:
You're probably right if you had chosen any name other than Harden, but the fact remains that neither of those guys you mention, including Harden, are as much of a dog on the defensive side of the ball as we think. Fans, the NBA, these TV stations, they want to see the big names playing in these nationally televised games. They do not want them load managing or getting in foul trouble early and sitting out most of the game. You have those guys guarding each other and one gets in foul trouble, you can almost hear the collective sound of remote controls across the country clicking to change the channel.
Y'all gonna quit acting like these superstar players are also defensive specialists... none of them cats guard the opposing teams best offensive player.
The only defensive success that team had against Harden was with Patrick Beverly ole fouling ass... all 37 of his points that game came against players named everything but Beverly.
Vs Beverly, Harden went 0-6 with like 3 or 4 turnovers. His points in that game came against Kawhi and George, the so called defensive stoppers, and other Clippers players.... plus when it mattered most the "best defensive player in the game" was in the corner guarding PJ fuckin Tucker. That's why his ass wasn't in that clip of Harden's 4 point play that gave Pat Bev cookout legs and sent him to the bench with 6 fouls.
Harden even called them out on their shit afterwards too, saying how you gonna have all these elite defensive players on one team and they're either not guarding me head up or they're running at me in double/triple teams. This still pic is crazy:
Did Harden really call them out ok n that because that is Hilarious
Now I'm first to admit I've seen this shit done to other players by other teams, but let's keep his comments in the bubble which they were made:
This was a regular season game with no playoff seedings at stake.
You have multiple DPOYs, first and second team all defensive players on the court.
Nothing was on the line here... no chip, no potential to advance to the chip, not an elimination game.
Again, this defense isn't uncommon as people were quick to point out. But to have it done under the circumstances listed above is unheard of.
Fuck Harden
Who you talking about?
The general managers for the Knicks. Cats stock piled on power forwards who aren’t even 3 options on any teams
Yeah it was overkill. I get getting KD and Kyrie didn’t pan out but how you to from that to stockpiling forwards? I liked the Morris signing and the Randle signing. It should’ve ended there. And then it’s for all undersized 4’s at that. Guys who aren’t quick enough to play the 3 but barely y’all enough for the 4 spot.
Eastern Conference Rookie of the month
Shit made no sense.
At least get a vet player who can play the four/five and help groom Robinson. Portis, Randle and Morris made no sense.
Lol Toronto got some bs homecooking calls
Because he said hes never seen teams send doubles before doing it to him?
Also, i havent gotten any Porter Jr. updates from you in a while.
They are surprising the hell out of me.
The young talent they have this year is crazy
Spo is a hell of a coach and Butler is a hell of a leader. Everybody else has a role and a playing well. Y'all are going to be a problem to whoever y'all get in the playoffs
Yea I'm curious what the Spo haters have to say
I can’t find nothing to disagree with in this post....
that award was a welcome back Melo from the nba
#2 team in the east right nowWhat’s Jimmy “Led” a team he was on to?
I strongly agree.
I've been saying there should be an "Offensive Player of the Year" award just so MVP doesn't function as that by default. How silly is it to just have DPOY and MVP? I think just having an OPOY award would drive home the point that MVP is about more than offensive production.