darkwing-buck
Member
Harden da gawd.
also neva4get
also neva4get
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NBA 2016-2017 Season |OT| What do the Liberty Bell and Ben Simmons have in Common?
- Thread starter Jarate
- Start date
This is the craziest stat sheet ever. Harden pulling out all the stops.
5th time this season they made at least 20 threes. Damn, they definitely should've had an undefeated December, haha
We're 3rd in the standings with the Clippers hot on our tail though.
clippers are freefalling, they're the last team you should worry about. Rockets can catch the spurs if this keeps up.
Harden da gawd.
also neva4get
But the Harden trade was good! They kept Ibaka! Something something luxury tax something.
They got Steven Adams! That means everything.
*cue KingGondo's music*
Playing well during the regular season is nice and all, but he has yet to prove his worth when it matters most.
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Harden highlights
I mean, he has a pretty good resume, but yeah, there's a reason why I mentioned end of career.
I think he can easily get into the conversation, I see that as a pretty reasonable take on where he can go.
Hot on our tail at 7th seed? Rockets have taken advantage of the Jazz/OKC/Grizz/LAC tumbling to start to create some separation, thankfully. Clippers are on a 5 or 6 game slide right now.
I mean, he has a pretty good resume, but yeah, there's a reason why I mentioned end of career.
I think he can easily get into the conversation, I see that as a pretty reasonable take on where he can go.
Hot on our tail at 7th seed? Rockets have taken advantage of the Jazz/OKC/Grizz/LAC tumbling to start to create some separation, thankfully. Clippers are on a 5 or 6 game slide right now.
Andrew Korenchkin
Member
Has a University of Arizona player ever had stats like that?
I think not.
I think not.
BlackNMild2k1
Member
One thing I love about Harden is just how effortless he makes it all look.
Purple Cheeto
Member
Monochromaticx
Member
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Is it weird that I give the Clippers better odds against the Spurs than the Grizzlies or even the Jazz? Also Spurs-Clippers is not the lineup Spurs are going to want to have for the first round hahaha
Honestly, above all else, this is why I take him over Russ. I'm not scared he's gonna run through a wall and destroy the wall and himself in one go.
Harden was tired today, but he's typically pretty damn amazing at exerting the amount of energy he needs to be exerting on a play. He plays alot of minutes, and plays them efficiently, but also manages to do a LeCoast during them.
He plays like a 35 year old veteran that still has hops
Honestly, above all else, this is why I take him over Russ. I'm not scared he's gonna run through a wall and destroy the wall and himself in one go.
Harden was tired today, but he's typically pretty damn amazing at exerting the amount of energy he needs to be exerting on a play. He plays alot of minutes, and plays them efficiently, but also manages to do a LeCoast during them.
He plays like a 35 year old veteran that still has hops
perfectchaos007
Member
True Savior
Member
I didnt saw Harden but Giannis 35p/9r/7a/7blk/2stl was mad impressive. This dude is such a great freak. I know he looks physically more like Durant but he plays like a young Lebron.
Lionel Richie
Member
Remember when Harden was traded for Jeremy Lamb?
True Savior
Member
Did you just forgot superstar Kevin Martin?
They had to pay Ibaka some said. lol. Poor OKC fans. Never will they ever have a similar level of talent. And they fucked it all up.
Crimson_Gold
Member
Brooks did. But I get your point. The squandered potential. Smh
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Hey, don't disrespect KMART, he was a major part of why we've only had one losing year (2006) since Yao.
I would probably still put Lowry over him, but he a strong claim to 2nd best player in the East behind LeBron.
He's having a 2014 AD sort of season.
Lionel Richie
Member
I remember reading somewhere at the time that it was easier to find a poor man's Harden than it was for Ibaka and that Kevin Martin could play that role. Hindsight is a hell of a thing, but the fact that actual basketball executives thought so too and traded away a 22 year old James Harden instead of granting us a future where he peaks playing alongside Westbrook and Durant is just sad.
Courtesy of @IanPowers
I was thinking, nothing really jumps out as a better stat line in recent memory. People have had bigger games in bigger moments, but not these kind of numbers.
Watching his highlights from last night, he was going full speed only on 1 or 2 plays. Everything is at the speed he wants, surveying the field, impeccable timing and vision on the court.
As great as Harden is playing this year i still think the Rockets are over-achieving so far. Im predicting the Jazz will get the 3rd seed in the West as long as they can stay healthy.
Also fun fact i saw Rudy Gorbert and Raul Neto at a nightclub last night lmao Gorbert is super tall.
Also fun fact i saw Rudy Gorbert and Raul Neto at a nightclub last night lmao Gorbert is super tall.
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Lebron is the only major competition, unless Westbrook manages to take OKC to 4th seed and the Rockets don't take 2nd seed from SAS, in which case the Harden/Westbrook race will fairly be very very close.
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Millsap trade rumors starting, he's planning to opt out.
Boston and Toronto would both be far and ahead the best choice for him. They both have depth that's nice but they actually don't need.
Boston I don't like too much tbh, doesn't push them over the top, but they do have a rebounding problem. Plus, an expiring all star caliber player for a decent/good role player + first round picks + something else might actually be a sensible deal for once, Boston fans.
Raptors make a ton of sense, Lowry-DeRozan-Millsap have no real locker-room issues, they're main hole is at the starting PF position (and Sullinger makes them better, but still not great). They've had issues with defensive rebounding, don't rely on the 3-ball as much, and Millsap would both help them with their iso-ball (he's been on team first teams before), but also not force them to change their style. They're also the best example of a win-now team.
Raptors also help with Atlanta's problem, outside shooting, as all of Ross, Powell, Joseph (eh, not as many attempts), Patterson, and Carroll have between 36% and 40% 3 pt accuracy. Asides from Patterson's expiring contract, all of those players have 3 years on them.
Not sure about Millsap's perimeter defense, don't watch his as much. Probably the crux of whether the Raptors could overcome the Cavs or not, as Frye and Love have lit them up from outside the line each time this year, and during the playoffs.
Losing some of those role players hurts, but Raptors almost have too much depth, if that's possible. It's unnecessary when the playoff time comes along. They could become an actual contender against the Cavs with Millsap.
Boston and Toronto would both be far and ahead the best choice for him. They both have depth that's nice but they actually don't need.
Boston I don't like too much tbh, doesn't push them over the top, but they do have a rebounding problem. Plus, an expiring all star caliber player for a decent/good role player + first round picks + something else might actually be a sensible deal for once, Boston fans.
Raptors make a ton of sense, Lowry-DeRozan-Millsap have no real locker-room issues, they're main hole is at the starting PF position (and Sullinger makes them better, but still not great). They've had issues with defensive rebounding, don't rely on the 3-ball as much, and Millsap would both help them with their iso-ball (he's been on team first teams before), but also not force them to change their style. They're also the best example of a win-now team.
Raptors also help with Atlanta's problem, outside shooting, as all of Ross, Powell, Joseph (eh, not as many attempts), Patterson, and Carroll have between 36% and 40% 3 pt accuracy. Asides from Patterson's expiring contract, all of those players have 3 years on them.
Not sure about Millsap's perimeter defense, don't watch his as much. Probably the crux of whether the Raptors could overcome the Cavs or not, as Frye and Love have lit them up from outside the line each time this year, and during the playoffs.
Losing some of those role players hurts, but Raptors almost have too much depth, if that's possible. It's unnecessary when the playoff time comes along. They could become an actual contender against the Cavs with Millsap.
Atomic Playboy
Member
Westbrook has better averages than Harden in scoring and rebounding and he's only trailing in assists by a little over 1 per game. He's leading the league in PER and he's averaging a triple double. I don't see how you give the nod to anyone over Westbrook at this point. As good as Harden has been, Westbrook is doing what no one has done since Oscar Robertson (and more efficiently to boot). I will say it's nice that we finally have a season where LeBron, Curry or Durant aren't the obvious MVP choice (though LeBron and Durant certainly have arguments in their favor as well).
Dreams-Visions
Member
You can make a logical Millsap argument for him going to basically any team except GSW, TOR, CLE and SAS. Every team's front court that I can think of would be made better by Millsap.
As far as contenders, someone like LAC makes the most sense to me given their clear need to move away from Blake. Paul does literally everything better than Blake does except dunk. Utah? Strong upgrade over Favors. Celtics? He played well with Al Horford for years and is a major upgrade over Amir Johnson. Imagine the Thunder if Millsap replaced Roberson in the starting lineup.
All of those teams become much stronger contenders with Millsap, don't they?
As far as contenders, someone like LAC makes the most sense to me given their clear need to move away from Blake. Paul does literally everything better than Blake does except dunk. Utah? Strong upgrade over Favors. Celtics? He played well with Al Horford for years and is a major upgrade over Amir Johnson. Imagine the Thunder if Millsap replaced Roberson in the starting lineup.
All of those teams become much stronger contenders with Millsap, don't they?
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Simple.
Coming into the season, people were cautious about whether the Rockets would make the playoffs! I thought that was silly, expecting a 7th or 8th seed, with a 5th or 6th seed if we had a good season. Thunder were expected to be closer to the 5th or 6th seed.
At best/worst, Rockets and Thunder were thought to be fairly similar in ranking.
From 3 days ago
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nba-predictions/
538 had the Rockets at 45 wins, Thunder at 50 or 51 wins coming into the season. Harden also shoots better, and has a much better effective field goal percentage than Russ.
Russ's supporting cast also isn't as bad as it's made out to be. Oladipo is having a great and underrated year, shooting better than he ever has. Adams and Kanter have both been great. Grant/Sabonis/Oladipo/Lauvergne/Abrines are all either shooting well or getting better at shooting.
Also, this same question came up in 2015, except this time the crazy individual performer isn't leading an unexpectedly underhanded and injured team, and his main competition also has eye-popping stats.
Lol nah.
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OKC probably would put him in front of Sabonis if anything.
Utah and OKC both are young teams, and Utah would have to balance re-signing Hill (already being pursued) with re-signing Millsap.
LAC I can see, but they end up in the same position where two of their star players have expiring contracts, and I don't see CP3 staying with the Clippers to continue to struggle to get to the conference finals.
SAS I could actually see happening, if they could get Millsap to agree to re-sign. LMA doesn't seem like he fits with the Spurs quite often, and he's only a year younger. Millsap would be on a contending team for his later years, or Spurs could use expiring cap space to pursue more players this off-season. Hawks would have to absorb LMA's trade kicker, but get a star player whose contract expires the same year Dwight's does.
Not sure why TOR is DQ'd, they have a ton of depth and a hole at the 4.
Nuggets, Blazers, Rockets (eh), Clippers, Spurs, Jazz, maybe Grizzlies (?? eeeehhhh), Kings, Celtics, Bulls, Raptors are the only teams that should even think about touching him though. No young team should go for this contract, and the main team I'm thinking of but excluding, the Wizards already have major depth issues (a top tier starting 5 tbh) and a young core.
Even it doesn't, their best player is 30, and their 2nd best player is 27. More than any other team in the East, they don't have the option of waiting for Lebron to get old.
Raptors are a good enough team to contend for top 4 in the West. If they can get a better shot at the finals, they should take it.
Who in the East gives them a challenge?
Or what other Eastern team is one piece away from challenging them?
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Raptors would also get Millsap's bird rights, and have $11.7 million expiring this year.
Other main option would be if the Raptors can get Blake, as LAC probably needs depth, and seem to be fine with CP3 led line-ups, as opposed to Blake led line-ups, where they flounder.
Other main option would be if the Raptors can get Blake, as LAC probably needs depth, and seem to be fine with CP3 led line-ups, as opposed to Blake led line-ups, where they flounder.
LeBron already dismantled Millsap & Horford
Gotdatmoney
Member
Why do you want Atlanta 2.0?
The only place I actually see it making sense for Millsap to go is Toronto since they aren't young enough to wait for Lebron to quit. And even then I would think Raps will wanna see how Sullinger pans out before going that route.
Boston needs a legit get at it guy on the boards and another all star Caliber player at the 2/3 spot. I don't see a point to Millsa. for them.
Andrew Korenchkin
Member
Lakers are becoming boring again.
And go down in flames against the Cavs by becoming Hawks? Horford and Millsap crumble against Lebron year after year.
Millsap makes a lot of sense for someone like Toronto, makes absolutely no sense for Boston.
sf2fanatic
Member
Andrew Korenchkin
Member
We're officially the Roman Reigns of the NBA
Nah. We are the Timberwolves right now. Lakers fans who think we should be good right now are asking for too much.
Tonight's game was fairly interesting outside of certain stretch.
Can't give up much to rent a guy. It's not putting them over the hump. Better off going after Korver and rent the shooting for more floor spacing for IT.
MetalFearSolid
Banned
This Paul Millsap to Raptors rumors need to stop. Makes no sense, reminds me of the David West rumors few years back.
Vault Dweller 111
Member
Can Westbrook or Harden catch Gobert in the MVP race?
Harden, LeBron or Westbrook are winning this year