Why does Curry get a pass for his Playoff inconsistencies when Harden does not?

[freethedevil]

This is a dumb rebuttal even for you.

Dumber than "scoring is the point of the game"?


Why can't you just admit it was a stupid thing to say?

Scoring is the point of the game.

Scoring>winning? Explain please.

[Dupp]

Dumber than "scoring is the point of the game"?


Why can't you just admit it was a stupid thing to say?

Scoring is the point of the game.

Scoring>winning? Explain please.

If no one score it’s a draw. The point of basketball is to score. If you score the most points you win.

[bledredwine]

I want to reiterate one thing-

James Harden is a top tier talent no question, but his IQ is not. If he had Steph’s or Lebron’s craftiness with the mind (and not just ball), I think that he would dominate the playoffs as well. That’s my take. This is also why I consider him similar to McGrady, who was even more talented.

[Dupp]

I want to reiterate one thing-

James Harden is a top tier talent no question, but his IQ is not. If he had Steph’s or Lebron’s craftiness with the mind (and not just ball), I think that he would dominate the playoffs as well. That’s my take. This is also why I consider him similar to McGrady, who was even more talented.

Hardens reputation as a choker exceeds what he actually does in the playoffs the last two years. Sure he is up and down but like OP suggested no more than curry. Before the last couple year yeah he was a lot worse but he’s become a much better and resilient player in the post season.


2019 wcsf between warriors and rockets...



KD - 33/5/4 on 59ts%

Harden - 35/7/5/2 on 59.4 ts%

Curry - 24/5/5/1on 55 ts%


And harden came out as the “choker” even though he was the best player over the course of the series. He had the biggest scoring and playmaking load and was still the most efficient scorer. Far more efficient than curry and he scored 11ppg more.

The difference was curry had KD AND their role players played way better. Curry didn’t score at all in a half of one game and his team was still ahead at half time. That’s kinda the point of this thread, curry often has these disappearing acts but has had the teammates to cover it.


Not saying harden has never deserved criticism because he has and has had many choking moments. Just recently he really hasn’t been that bad just come up against a better team and he’s personally performed well. At the same time I’m not implying curry is a choker just that he’s inconsistent. He’s had a better career than harden personally and been a better playoff player but the tide has turned the last two years and harden is better. Curry still doesn’t cop the same criticism for the same inconsistencies though.




Edit - not sure about his iq either. I think it’s more play style than iq that’s hindered him.

[No-more-rings]

I don’t see at all how Curry has a higher IQ than Harden.

[whocurrz]

Curry doesn’t get a pass. He gets criticized plenty for playoffs, just not as much as Harden. That’s because he has 3 titles and some big moments. Even before the title years his teams overachieved in the playoffs. Harden’s teams have never really outperformed and he gets judged hard for sometimes having bad 4th quarters or not showing up for games (like 2017 Spurs game 6 and 2015 WCF game 3) more than just his numbers falling

[Lenneth]

I want to reiterate one thing-

James Harden is a top tier talent no question, but his IQ is not. If he had Steph’s or Lebron’s craftiness with the mind (and not just ball), I think that he would dominate the playoffs as well. That’s my take. This is also why I consider him similar to McGrady, who was even more talented.

Hardens reputation as a choker exceeds what he actually does in the playoffs the last two years. Sure he is up and down but like OP suggested no more than curry. Before the last couple year yeah he was a lot worse but he’s become a much better and resilient player in the post season.


2019 wcsf between warriors and rockets...



KD - 33/5/4 on 59ts%

Harden - 35/7/5/2 on 59.4 ts%

Curry - 24/5/5/1on 55 ts%


And harden came out as the “choker” even though he was the best player over the course of the series. He had the biggest scoring and playmaking load and was still the most efficient scorer. Far more efficient than curry and he scored 11ppg more.

The difference was curry had KD AND their role players played way better. Curry didn’t score at all in a half of one game and his team was still ahead at half time. That’s kinda the point of this thread, curry often has these disappearing acts but has had the teammates to cover it.


Not saying harden has never deserved criticism because he has and has had many choking moments. Just recently he really hasn’t been that bad just come up against a better team and he’s personally performed well. At the same time I’m not implying curry is a choker just that he’s inconsistent. He’s had a better career than harden personally and been a better playoff player but the tide has turned the last two years and harden is better. Curry still doesn’t cop the same criticism for the same inconsistencies though.




Edit - not sure about his iq either. I think it’s more play style than iq that’s hindered him.

To me, his performance against Warriors after KD went out only enhanced his reputation in PO.

Game 5, 4th quarter. Harden played 11 minutes and scored 3 points, shooting 1-2 from the field with 1 technical free throw until 1 minute mark. He added 2 more points with 18 second left when Warriors defended 3 pts line to give up a layup. In contrast, Curry dropped 12 pts in 4th quarter. After everything happened and went through all those complaining last PO, Rockets finally got a golden chance to beat Warriors with KD out of the picture. Then, Harden completely disappeared in 4th quarter. It was one of the most strange game I saw.

Game 6, 4th quarter. Harden played 10 minutes and scored 4 points, shooting 2-6 from the field until 1 minute mark. He added 5 more points in last minute, but the game was already out of the reach. In contrast, Curry carried Warriors to the conference by dropping 23 pts in 4th quarter, 33 pts in 2nd half after going scoreless in first half.

Harden's overall PO number aren't that horrible. But in key moments like 4th quarter, Harden keep pulling disappearing acts like that. Until he reverses his performances in key moments, he won't be able to shake up his reputation.

[jdzimme3]

Watch on YouTube

[NO-KG-AI]

Curry doesn’t get a pass. He gets criticized plenty for playoffs, just not as much as Harden. That’s because he has 3 titles and some big moments. Even before the title years his teams overachieved in the playoffs. Harden’s teams have never really outperformed and he gets judged hard for sometimes having bad 4th quarters or not showing up for games (like 2017 Spurs game 6 and 2015 WCF game 3) more than just his numbers falling

This.

I feel like I’m pretty harsh on Curry, but it’s just because I’m comparing his offense to the GOAT candidate offensive talents, and how they perform in the post season.

I think Harden has shown improvements, and I’m not super harsh on him because I don’t think a large contingent would contend that he’s a better offensive player in the playoffs than MJ, LeBron, Shaq, Kareem, etc.

I think Curry’s off the ball talents has made him more resilient than Harden in the post season, and both are all time great offensice forces, but I think their heavy reliance on the toughest shot in the game leaves them a little lower than their regular season rankings do.

Like I think they are both more dominant in the regular season than Kobe, but I’m not sure I’d take either for long playoff runs where teams can force you out of your comfort zones and take portions of your game away, etc.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

There's tons of evidence that Curry with his movement and scoring threat creates several opportunities for his teammates without having anything to show on the boxscore.
Even in the last three year, he was the guy defenses were scheming against, not Durant, who was then feasting as a supersized second opion.
Harden can't do that, hence once his statistical footprint is reduced there's not really mush else. At least until this season, now he's actually opening so much for Westbrook.