Vladimir777 wrote:CodeBreaker wrote:is Harden leading this team win 70 games this season?
So whoever is on the better team is automatically the better player?
I’m not saying 16 Curry is or isn’t better than what Harden could be this season, but I just strongly disagree with that logic.
The comparison though isn't just between Harden's team and Curry's team—the comparison is against all teams in NBA history.
HeartBreakKid wrote:Like, the argument that Curry is better than Harden because Harden isn't going to win 70+ games makes no sense. What is the value of a 70+ game win season? It literally doesn't accomplish anything differently than a 65 win season. Scarcity of a feat is not the same thing as goodness (ie, Westbrook's triple doubles doesn't mean he's the best player in the league), the RS has never meant that much - case in point by how the Warriors didn't win the title, and almost did not go to the finals either.
It just seems strange, Curry anchored a 10 SRS team but Harden "only" anchored an 8 SRS team that was less healthy, and somehow this is logic for why Curry is better? Curry has much better arguments than that...at least I would hope.
The 70+ wins is an outlier and an indicator of something unique going on. That there are also 67-win seasons alongside indicate whatever is going on is not a fluke. It is also an indicator of value in a way triple doubles aren't because wins are the point and there are 3 finals appearances resulting in two championships to go along with the regular season records.
Now one can explain the wins and give reasons for how they occurred—but you know what?—one doesn't have to. They explain themselves. You can give a whole laundry list of why Harden is better and explain why various aspects of Harden's game trumps Curry's but they will run up against the cold hard fact it wasn't enough to win and not just once but repeatedly.
Let me put into perspective why this entire line of questioning is ridiculous. When we are talking about Curry and the Warriors we are talking about one of the most extreme cases of winning in NBA history. Based on record and results you might as well start doubting Bill Russell's and Michael Jordan's greatness.
Nonetheless there is also a simple remedy for Harden in all this. This isn't some theoretical comparison between players of different eras. Curry is a contemporary. All Harden needs to do is win.