2013-2014 NBA Thread - IND @ WAS and OKC @ LAC on ESPN

[awwsome]

Being the 3rd most effecient scorer in the league when you had no other 20 pt threats on your team means you can't be overrated. Only knock on him is defense, other wise he's elite in every area that's relevant to his position, can even run the point if need be.


Harden

Shouts to OKC, watch the Rockets get a title before them

 

[blastercombo]

James Harden has quickly become so overrated but its whatever, I'll wait for him to stink it up in the playoffs when he faces good defenses and he cant just barrel into the lane and get ticky-tack fouls against elite defenses.

Stink it up? I guess KD stunk it up against mem too huh? A one man team hasn't worked since AI going to (not winning) the finals. Heck I guess lebron stunk it up during the cavs days....

 

[blastercombo]

Being the 3rd most effecient scorer in the league when you had no other 20 pt threats on your team means you can't be overrated. Only knock on him is defense, other wise he's elite in every area that's relevant to his position, can even run the point if need be.


Harden

Shouts to OKC, watch the Rockets get a title before them

Howard IMO is a proven loser. As soon as something comes up, it's tissue time for him.

 

[buc em]

I really hope the Wizards make a push for Asik. Would fit great with Nene imo.

F that I don't want my man Asik on that craphole of a roster. They have nothing to give anyway.

 

[awwsome]

Dudes love to forget how Harden destroyed the Spurs his last year in OKC and was the reason they made it to the finals

 

[black migo]

I agree with a lot of what they said, but the backup PG position has been addressed. Calathes is unproven, but he's looked great in preseason. I see him doing well this season. Bayless has also played well when a secondary ball handler is out on the floor with him.

I'm not sure what Conley not being an all-star or one of th best four PG's in the NBA has to do with anything

. That does not take away the fact that he's probably the best PG defender in the league and is top 10 (regardless of what people say). Everything else I can agree on. TA is better suited off the bench and I think ZBO is done. He may give us another surprise playoff performance, but he's officially the 3rd best player on the team behind Gasol and Conley. He's going to get the Rudy Gay treatment this season from the front office.

And for the guy that said "the experts know more about these players than we do", those "experts" include bloggers from the ESPN network

. The Grizz 3SOB blogger was one of the voters and he's a regular fan just like us. I'm not sure who are the other voters, but I'm sure 30 of them were bloggers of their respective teams.

stop it cinco, Tony parker embarrased him, and no top 10 pg is avg 14 & 6

 

[thetim11]

Damb,OKC had 3 of the top 5 players.

Key word HAD . Worst decision in NBA recent history

Crazy how just 2 years ago, Sam Presti and his moves were considered genius.

Now, he's looking real funny in the light.

 

[worldbeefreeg]

Explain how he was the 3rd most efficient scorer? Melo/Bron/KD all scored more and better FG% and 3ptFG%

Harden's best skill is getting to the line but those opportunities disappear as it becomes playoff time and you face elite defenses who just simply don't take bad swipes at the ball which he relies on so often to get to the line...He sort of stunk it up last year in the first round and he no showed completely against the Heat. Westbrook is on another level defensively comparatively, the only thing I'd say Harden does definitively better is shoot from deep.

At no point when they were teammates did I once think Harden was the better player. These ranking are pointless regardless but I just find putting him at no. 4 to be pretty baseless.

 

[dt43]

That was clearly Cleveland's GM who voted for him lol

3. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland -- 3.4%

3.4% = 1/30

Also, under "Who is the best passer" there is a mysterious vote for Dion Waiters..

hahaha. Isnt there a rule you can't vote for your team?

Can't be since one of the polls was 100% for Miami.. they probably just trust the GMs to not troll lol, but I see a lot of random/unexpected names in the results

 

[bhzmafia14]

The Grizz blogger told me they were actually asked to re-rank Westbrook due to his 2nd surgery. I'm not sure if that's the re-ranking or if he will be moved down later.

 

[coldcity]

Damb,OKC had 3 of the top 5 players.

Key word HAD . Worst decision in NBA recent history

Crazy how just 2 years ago, Sam Presti and his moves were considered genius.

Now, he's looking real funny in the light.

crazy...

 

[blastercombo]

Crazy how just 2 years ago, Sam Presti and his moves were considered genius.

Now, he's looking real funny in the light.

Scouting was okc's best asset. Harden and ibaka were on ZERO peoples wish lists and look what they've become. Same could be said about Westbrook. That decision coupled with this years draft....... The plug has been pulled, and the waters going down the drain. In 2-3 years kd and Westbrook will have a huge choice to make.....

 

[tyonenine]

Dudes love to forget how Harden destroyed the Spurs his last year in OKC and was the reason they made it to the finals

And one of the main reasons they lost the finals

 

[awwsome]

You can't just blame Presti, look at the owners first. He can only spend the money that they allow him too, which led to the Harden debacle

 

[worldbeefreeg]

Harden shot under 40 percent against OKC...Durant shot above 42% against Memphis, the best defensive team in the West without Westbrook (essentially alone). Houston's supporting cast>>>OKC supporting cast without Westbrook.

And Harden had one great series, against the Spurs but you also have to consider he was logging the majority of those minutes against the second unit of the Spurs.

 

[blastercombo]

You can't just blame Presti, look at the owners first. He can only spend the money that they allow him too, which led to the Harden debacle

True, but they did choose to break off ibaka....

 

[dt43]

Explain how he was the 3rd most efficient scorer? Melo/Bron/KD all scored more and better FG% and 3ptFG%

Harden's best skill is getting to the line but those opportunities disappear as it becomes playoff time and you face elite defenses who just simply don't take bad swipes at the ball which he relies on so often to get to the line...He sort of stunk it up last year in the first round and he no showed completely against the Heat. Westbrook is on another level defensively comparatively, the only thing I'd say Harden does definitively better is shoot from deep.

At no point when they were teammates did I once think Harden was the better player. These ranking are pointless regardless but I just find putting him at no. 4 to be pretty baseless.

He's the third most efficient scorer because of what you mentioned, free throws. Harden had a true shooting % of 0.600 which was behind only Durant and James (among volume scorers), mainly due to his proficiency at drawing fouls.

Whether you think he deserves the calls or not, he gets them in today's league and will continue to do so.

His efficiency did go down a lot in the playoffs, but so did Melo's.. who you named as being a more efficient scorer.

 

[awwsome]

worldbeefreeg

You're comparing Durant to Harden though

I don't think anyone said Harden is better than KD

Why don't you compare Harden's playoff numbers to Melo's?

 

[blastercombo]

Harden shot under 40 percent against OKC...Durant shot above 42% against Memphis, the best defensive team in the West without Westbrook (essentially alone). Houston's supporting cast>>>OKC supporting cast without Westbrook.

And Harden had one great series, against the Spurs but you also have to consider he was logging the majority of those minutes against the second unit of the Spurs.

Harden almost always finishes games though with kd, Westbrook, ibaka, and Perkins/NC. He wasn't always just playing against the secondary. Not to mention last year starting for the rockets...... Dude was ballin.... Hard

 

[proshares]

They just mentioned that hes gonna end up starting in the Bill and Jalens NBA preview

If JR starts, that lineup will be "interesting," to say the least.

That doesn't even begin to describe it

This team is a meltdown waiting to happen.

 

[Trillmatic90]

James Harden at number 4 is plain stupid. I cant take espn seriously anymore.

 

[travis]

arguably harden is the 4th best player in the league . like I can't say Melo, kobe, Westbrook, drose, Steph, or anyone else for tht matter without having some type of doubt in my head . so to the people who do think he's 4th in the league I can see were yall coming from .

I mean everyone knows he's the best at the 2 guard position so is it really tht difficult to believe ?

 

[blastercombo]

That doesn't even begin to describe it

This team is a meltdown waiting to happen.

Said it before and I'll say it again.... The New York Knicks are the Dallas cowboys of the NBA.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Will Westbrook or Harden ever be better or on par with Durant? Will Harden win a championship before Durant and Westbrook?

 

[wavycrocket]

I swear, Basketball has some of the biggest hypocrites ever lol. Making it as the 8th seed, and shooting 43% 37& and 85% makes you the 4th best player in the leauge. Harden LIVES off of free throws, and when that doesent happen, IE plaoffs, he becomes an ineficient turnover machine. His efficiency is driven by his 10fta a game. He is a good passer though.

He's also a below average defender. Reminds me of a 6'8 scoring small forward, who shoots around 45% who had a tough time getting out the first round without help,but i doubt many on hear would consider im the 4th best player in the league lol.

Also, I'm glad J. Smoove is getting some love. It's a travesty he's only made one all defensive team, and that was the 2nd team the year he was the runner up for DPOY lol. He also has the most all star snubs recently.