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- Apr 7, 2013
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The game before the playoffs.So when is the NBA preseason over?
The game before the playoffs.So when is the NBA preseason over?
I get that about Westbrook but I don't think he is efficient enough to be a guy you build around.Obviously I'm biased but I think I'd give Westbrook the slight edge. I feel like he'd give me a little more all around.
Plus I love having a guy on the team who plays every game as if it's Game 7 of the Finals. Doesn't matter if he's playing the Warriors in May or Utah in November.....Westbrook is going to give you max effort every time he steps on the floor.
I now get why Iverson was so beloved in Philly. That kind of effort is a throwback. You don't see it very often; especially in this era where stars are sitting out random games for rest.
Have you been pulling your hair over the countless times Harden has given a dogshit effort on defense over the years?I get that about Westbrook but I don't think he is efficient enough to be a guy you build around.
Love the effort, but I would be pulling my hair at the chucking he does in the last minute of games.
Can't argue that. I've had plenty of "WTF was that" moments with Westbrook. But the good far outweighs the bad so I've learned to just roll with it.I get that about Westbrook but I don't think he is efficient enough to be a guy you build around.
Love the effort, but I would be pulling my hair at the chucking he does in the last minute of games.
Not when he is dropping 29 7 and 6 and playing 38 minutes a game.Have you been pulling your hair over the countless times Harden has given a dogshit effort on defense over the years?
Yeah he can prove a lot this year but he is going to have start trusting guys down the stretch and making things easier for his teammates.Can't argue that. I've had plenty of "WTF was that" moments with Westbrook. But the good far outweighs the bad so I've learned to just roll with it.
As far as who you'd build the franchise around, I think that argument is still up in the air. Harden has shown he can be the lead dog and carry a team to 55 win seasons. We'll see what Westbrook does this season with a very young squad. I think they'll be around the 50-win mark.
A lot of people like to point to the 2014 season when KD was hurt as proof that Westbrook can't carry a team to the playoffs but it was much more than KD's injury that caused OKC to miss the playoffs that year.
Westbrook himself missed about 15 games because of broken hand and a fractured facial bone.
Steven Adams and Andre Roberson also missed about 15 games each.
Serge Ibaka missed practically the entire second half of the season, roughly 30 games.
Plus a host of other small injuries that cost key role players a few games here and there.
That's a ton of injuries to the starting 5 of your team. Yet the Westbrook haters only want to highlight the 54 games that KD missed as that was the only injury that OKC had to deal with.
And despite all that OKC only missed the playoffs due to losing a tie-breaker to the Pelicans.
So that's why I think we still have a shot at hitting 50 wins this year.
I now get why Iverson was so beloved in Philly. That kind of effort is a throwback. You don't see it very often; especially in this era where stars are sitting out random games for rest.
The difference is Nowitzki tries and always has, he just sucks at it.Not when he is dropping 29 7 and 6 and playing 38 minutes a game.
This defensive effort thing is way overblown, he gives as much effort as Durant, Irving, Curry and Lillard who are all the same or worse than Harden on the defensive side.
Nobody has been asked to do as much as Harden over the last 3 years, yes he has lapses n defense to act like he gives no effort on defense is idiotic and looking for a reason to hate.
And this coming from a guy who loves Nowitski.
So Harden can average 29 7 and 6 and not try?The difference is Nowitzki tries and always has, he just sucks at it.
I don't know why you keep saying Harden's defensive issues are overblown when they are not. The guy just flat out doesn't even try at times and there is no excuse for that.
That's just a media created narrative. You guys act like Westbrook completely ignored KD for long stretches of games.I'd take Harden just because he's more inclusive of his teammates, Westbrook would freeze out Durant for Christ's sake. Harden also isn't as reliant on his athleticism, which is important considering their respective ages.
Now Jimmy Butler vs. Harden, there's a real question.
Perhaps, although if Westbrook is on your team he's going to be the PG/decision-maker pretty much no matter what and so you can't really do anything to mitigate that. Harden is just as prone to turnovers, chucking and selfishness as Westbrook, although I feel like a top coach could mitigate that if given a PG that can run a team and make good decisions.That's just a media created narrative. You guys act like Westbrook completely ignored KD for long stretches of games.
KD always averaged more shot attempts than Westbrook when they were teammates. The problem was the "your turn, my turn" offense they ran far too often in OKC. They seemingly took turns running the offense from possession to possession.
I wasn't a fan of that style of play but apparently that's what the coaches and players were fine with.
I agree with the tournovers and chucking to some degree but he has never been selfish.Perhaps, although if Westbrook is on your team he's going to be the PG/decision-maker pretty much no matter what and so you can't really do anything to mitigate that. Harden is just as prone to turnovers, chucking and selfishness as Westbrook, although I feel like a top coach could mitigate that if given a PG that can run a team and make good decisions.
Green was third in the NBA last regular season with 13 technical fouls, and he had the most in the playoffs with five.They made the rule. Make your rule. I don't care. But if you're going to say it's an unnatural thing, an unnatural act, no offense to James Harden, but I've never seen nobody up until James started doing it that shoots a layup like this under your arm (sweeps arms in a demonstration). That's really not a natural act either. That's not a natural basketball play either. But, hey, if you're going to make a rule, make a rule. But if you're going to take unnatural acts out the game, then let's lock in on all these unnatural acts and take them out the game.
Green also questioned how those who don't play the game can be deemed qualified enough to make such judgments:
I just laugh at it. It's funny how you can tell me how I get hit and how my body is supposed to react. I didn't know the league office was that smart when it came to body movements. I'm not sure if they took kinesiology for their positions to tell you how your body is going to react when you get hit in a certain position. Or you go up and you have guys who jump to the ceiling. A lot of these guys that make the rules can't touch the rim, yet they tell you how you're way up there in the air which way your body (is supposed to go). I don't understand that. That's like me going in there and saying, 'Hey, you did something on your paperwork wrong.' I don't know what your paperwork looks like. But it is what it is. ... I don't know. Let them keep telling people how their body react I guess. They need to go take a few more kinesiology classes though. Maybe they can take a taping class or functional movement classes. Let me know how the body works because clearly mine don't work the right way.