Iwasawitness wrote:dhsilv2 wrote:Iwasawitness wrote:
First off, Harden shot 2/13 from deep in that game you’re specifying. You can cherry pick numbers if you want but make no mistake: he was awful in that game.
Second, what, playing with KD, Russ, CP3, Embiid (no, I don’t care how bad Embiid was in those games… Harden scored 13 and 9 in the last two games of that series, he was just as much at fault) and George isn’t in of itself a luxury? Pretty sure these guys are all also going to be hall of famers. Harden has been in far more favorable situations than LeBron and this isn’t up for debate. To even try to claim his teammates are at fault for his failures is peak comedy.
KD/Russ - before he was a star
CP3 - got hurt in year one, was a shell of himself in year 2.
Embiid - missed games and was bad.
I'm sorry but yes Lebron has had better support. No clue why we are comparing the two given Lebron is on another 2 levels than Harden. But Harden hasn't gotten to play with 2011 Wade, didn't have a Bosh as a 3rd, and didn't have Irving or AD either. Two things can be true. Harden hasn't had the talent of teammates who were also healthy that Lebron has had and Lebron is a completely other worldly better player.
Harden had a team that was built to contend from the moment he stepped in the league. When he went to Houston, he had Dwight Howard along with a very good team surrounding him, and that was followed up with Chris Paul. And I’m sorry, are we going to ignore Brooklyn? Are we going to ignore Philly? Harden never had a player the caliber of 2011 Wade? Utter nonsense, he literally had a teammate win MVP while playing with him. And you want to go the route of injuries… Wade was hobbled two years into playing with LeBron. LeBron lost both Irving AND Love to injuries in the playoffs in his first year playing with them. In the second year, Love got concussed in the finals. And don’t even get me started on AD.
There is one thing you said here which is correct, and that’s that Harden is not on LeBron’s level as a player. THAT is the difference.
You are being disingenuous bringing up OKC. That year should be looked at as a positive of his career, not something that detracts it. That was a bunch of teenagers making it to the finals going against the first real Superteam of the modern era. How are you putting that on Harden?
Dwight? Post-back surgery Dwight that was a shell of himself? His 2nd option o offense being Chandler Parsons?
MVP Joel? Why doesn't he get the Heat for his game 6 and 7 performance, why is it James? No one clowning Kyrie or Bam when their teams couldn't pull through, why Harden?
HOU you have a point, until you realize the only team that knocked him out of the playoffs was Kawhi pre injury Spurs, and the Warriors
BRK? Where Kyrie didn't play, and both got hurt in the playoffs?
How about this, what series did James Harden lose, that his team was the favorite to win? None, literally not a single series. James Harden has never lost to a team he was supposed to beat, and he's never beat a team that he was supposed to lose to.
LeBron is the better player, but you can't say the same thing about him. Again, why you are expecting a guy with worse 2nd options, and 3rd options of the likes of Trevor Ariza and Chandler Parsons to dudes who played with other Top 5 guys, and had other MVP candidates as a 3rd option?
Their situations aren't even remotely similar. Harden has done the most with the least since i started watching the NBA.Yall just like clowning him because he couldn't beat the Warriors for you.