NBA 2018-2019

[Melancer46]

So Harden just singlehandedly beat the warriors on their floor, without CP or Gordon..and the refs tried real hard at the end..not calling Durant out of bounds on a play where he was nearly in the seats. I don't think ive ever seen a more egrigious miss in an NBA game in crunch time..and that's saying something. dude was WAAAYY out of bounds for MULTIPLE strides..NEVER came back in..

It’s nuts how bad the Rockets have looked most of the year and they’re suddenly right back in the thick of it in the Weat and Harden might be the MVP favorite yet again.

 

[OrangeDW]

Why do you say that? I can't stand the guy, he's actually one of my most hated players but didn't know that this was a common opinion.

I’m a Lakers fan. He seems to act like a jerk everytime we play the Nuggets.

I like his game, but he just seems like he enjoys being a bit of a jerk.

 

[shandeezy7]

So Harden just singlehandedly beat the warriors on their floor, without CP or Gordon..and the refs tried real hard at the end..not calling Durant out of bounds on a play where he was nearly in the seats. I don't think ive ever seen a more egrigious miss in an NBA game in crunch time..and that's saying something. dude was WAAAYY out of bounds for MULTIPLE strides..NEVER came back in..

I didn't see the game, only highlights. Why in God's name was that play not reviewed? It was so egregious. How embarrassing for NBA refs.

 

[Cusefan0307]

It’s nuts how bad the Rockets have looked most of the year and they’re suddenly right back in the thick of it in the Weat and Harden might be the MVP favorite yet again.

Will be great in the regular season and then he will stink in May when the officials don't give him every call when someone breathes on him.

 

[shandeezy7]

So Harden just singlehandedly beat the warriors on their floor, without CP or Gordon..and the refs tried real hard at the end..not calling Durant out of bounds on a play where he was nearly in the seats. I don't think ive ever seen a more egrigious miss in an NBA game in crunch time..and that's saying something. dude was WAAAYY out of bounds for MULTIPLE strides..NEVER came back in..

 

[Melancer46]

I didn't see the game, only highlights. Why in God's name was that play not reviewed? It was so egregious. How embarrassing for NBA refs.

You can only review an out-of-bounds play if you call it out-of-bounds initially and go back to check if you were right. You can't review a call that you missed.

 

[shandeezy7]

You can only review an out-of-bounds play if you call it out-of-bounds initially and go back to check if you were right. You can't review a call that you missed.

Well that seems stupid, especially for such a blatantly missed call. Although I don't have any skin in the game, I'm glad the Rockets were able to overcome it.

 

[Newhouser]

Simmons is out of touch.
I would trade Tatum for Durant right now and not blink as long as Durant signed a 4 year deal with the trade.
Tatum is an all-NBA level player in a couple of years but Durant is a top 5 player for the next couple of seasons if not top 3.

He is losing it but he has been voicing concerns about Draymond's game falling off dramatically and he is right about that.

 

[Melancer46]

Well that seems stupid, especially for such a blatantly missed call. Although I don't have any skin in the game, I'm glad the Rockets were able to overcome it.

No doubt haha. I guess an argument for doing it this way is that how do you determine when to stop the game for a call that you don’t believe you missed in the first place? It’s not like football where you have almost a minute between plays.

 

[shandeezy7]

No doubt haha. I guess an argument for doing it this way is that how do you determine when to stop the game for a call that you don’t believe you missed in the first place? It’s not like football where you have almost a minute between plays.

Yeah, it's not as clear-cut as baseball or football, where there is a natural stoppage after every play. Hockey does replays on possible goals that aren't called as goals at the next stoppage of play, but I don't really like it because a lot can happen between the play in question for review and the next stoppage. Same thing goes in basketball, even if you blow it dead right after the basket and review it then, what do you do about all of the time that has elapsed since then, especially if the situation were different and the Warriors were trying to burn clock instead of score? I guess there is no ideal solution.

 

[OrangeDW]

I say this as a Laker fan who has always liked LeBron well enough and think he seems like a really good guy for someone whose been in the stratosphere of fame since he was like 17...

those recent comments about “I knew I was the best ever when we pulled off that title in 2016” were pretty corny. You got lucky that Bogut got hurt and Draymond got suspended over a stupid rule that didn’t exist in previous eras, otherwise you lose in 6.

I don’t like when people try to manipulate public opinion into thinking they’re the best ever.

 

[Knicks411]

No doubt haha. I guess an argument for doing it this way is that how do you determine when to stop the game for a call that you don’t believe you missed in the first place? It’s not like football where you have almost a minute between plays.

One thing that always bothers me is when you get in the fourth quarter of a game and they give the signal to review whether a shot was a 2 or a 3, but play goes on for a few minutes before there's a stoppage. If it's a close game late, it's pretty important if it's a 2 or a 3! I get real anxious about it.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I say this as a Laker fan who has always liked LeBron well enough and think he seems like a really good guy for someone whose been in the stratosphere of fame since he was like 17...

those recent comments about “I knew I was the best ever when we pulled off that title in 2016” were pretty corny. You got lucky that Bogut got hurt and Draymond got suspended over a stupid rule that didn’t exist in previous eras, otherwise you lose in 6.

I don’t like when people try to manipulate public opinion into thinking they’re the best ever.

You know, I've heard of a guy named Donald it would be interesting to get your take on, given that.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Will be great in the regular season and then he will stink in May when the officials don't give him every call when someone breathes on him.

you do realize hes been to two conference finals and pushed GSW to 7 games last year. it's not like he doesnt show up in the playoffs. If he were in the eastern conference, he'd probably have been to 4 finals already

 

[STEVEHOLT]

One thing that always bothers me is when you get in the fourth quarter of a game and they give the signal to review whether a shot was a 2 or a 3, but play goes on for a few minutes before there's a stoppage. If it's a close game late, it's pretty important if it's a 2 or a 3! I get real anxious about it.

what's worse, and Ive seen it a couple times..when there is a clock operator error and they start the clock too late..refs go back and review..and say shot was not taken in time..and wipe out a bucket...well no shyte..the players take the shot based on the time they see left on the clock...they can't go by what they think the clock should have been.

similar in the NFL...a player gets called for offensive holding..then on the same play, there is a foul for pass interference well after the hold took place...yet it's an offsetting penalty...well the PI probably wouldnt have occurred had there not been a hold...

 

[OrangeDW]

you do realize hes been to two conference finals and pushed GSW to 7 games last year. it's not like he doesnt show up in the playoffs. If he were in the eastern conference, he'd probably have been to 4 finals already

I think he’s played better than the general narrative suggests. But he’s had at least a few brutally bad elimination games. That one against GS a few years ago he had 12 turnovers, and 11 field goal attempts. Crazy. He had a really bad game against the Spurs when they got eliminated a couple years ago too.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think he’s played better than the general narrative suggests. But he’s had at least a few brutally bad elimination games. That one against GS a few years ago he had 12 turnovers, and 11 field goal attempts. Crazy. He had a really bad game against the Spurs when they got eliminated a couple years ago too.

Meh he shoots 42 and 32 percent from 3 in the playoffs.

If STEVEHOLT thinks he would have beat Lebron 4 times in the east then whatever.

Not to mention his style is my least favorite of any superstar in the NBA.

 

[OrangeDW]

Meh he shoots 42 and 32 percent from 3 in the playoffs.

If STEVEHOLT thinks he would have beat Lebron 4 times in the east then whatever.

Not to mention his style is my least favorite of any superstar in the NBA.

Yeah, I don’t think they would’ve seen the finals in the East until last year - if CP3 stayed healthy they would’ve likely beat the Cavs. Before that though? I don’t see it.

He is a hard watch.

The anti-Melo band wagoners who decry his “ballstopping”, but love Harden are baffling to me. Harden has the ball all the time and just dribbles constantly. Great talent and skills. I’d be bored to tears playing on his team though.

 

[Knicks411]

Yeah, I don’t think they would’ve seen the finals in the East until last year - if CP3 stayed healthy they would’ve likely beat the Cavs. Before that though? I don’t see it.

He is a hard watch.

The anti-Melo band wagoners who decry his “ballstopping”, but love Harden are baffling to me. Harden has the ball all the time and just dribbles constantly. Great talent and skills. I’d be bored to tears playing on his team though.

I do agree with you aesthetically he can be a tough watch at times.

As for the ball stopping comps to Melo, he does have the ball a ton, but I guess I see the differences as

1) the guy is an incredible passer, and
2) He's an incredibly efficient scorer.

I think the "ball stopping" critique towards Melo (and others) is more usually shorthand for "guy who holds the ball a lot and then shoots 18 foot jumpers" which generally isn't the best way to structure an offense. Harden, whether you like watching him or not, is one of the most devastatingly effective offensive players in the history of the game
Back to the aesthetically pleasing thing, maybe it's just me, and I don't know if it;s because he shoots lefty or what, but his shot doesn't even like look good to me. I love even the motion a guy like Curry or Durant or Klay have, but his shot looks herky jerky or something, not smooth at all. I dunno. Zach Lowe had a crazy stat in his column yesterday though, Harden has made 100 step back 3's this year. Luka Doncic (!) is second, with 28.

 

[OrangeDW]

I do agree with you aesthetically he can be a tough watch at times.

As for the ball stopping comps to Melo, he does have the ball a ton, but I guess I see the differences as

1) the guy is an incredible passer, and
2) He's an incredibly efficient scorer.

I think the "ball stopping" critique towards Melo (and others) is more usually shorthand for "guy who holds the ball a lot and then shoots 18 foot jumpers" which generally isn't the best way to structure an offense. Harden, whether you like watching him or not, is one of the most devastatingly effective offensive players in the history of the game

Yeah. Aesthetically I find a lot more beauty in the mid range and post up games of the past than I do in most of what’s going on now.

Ultimately I like balance in teams and well rounded offensive games in stars. This taking advantage of the rules and the too short 3 point line and manipulating things to draw fouls and get away with travels...bleh.

 

[Melancer46]

Meh he shoots 42 and 32 percent from 3 in the playoffs.

If STEVEHOLT thinks he would have beat Lebron 4 times in the east then whatever.

Not to mention his style is my least favorite of any superstar in the NBA.

Harden has a higher TS% in the playoffs than Lebron. It’s not pretty but it works, even in the postseason.

 

[OrangeDW]

Harden has a higher TS% in the playoffs than Lebron. It’s not pretty but it works, even in the postseason.

It works if you don’t boot the ball to the other team 12 times a game.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Harden has a higher TS% in the playoffs than Lebron. It’s not pretty but it works, even in the postseason.

If you guys are going to use analytics to say Harden is better than Lebron in the playoffs I think I’m done here.

 

[Knicks411]

I was just looking at his playoff stats, the last 3 years, Harden has 29.3% from 3. Probably reading too much into things, but i wonder if he loses his legs due to playing so many minutes during the season?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I was just looking at his playoff stats, the last 3 years, Harden has 29.3% from 3. Probably reading too much into things, but i wonder if he loses his legs due to playing so many minutes during the season?

Maybe.

Since I don't think highly of him I'll propose that he gives up in games, and so in the playoffs once he knows he's losing he shuts down.