Do you think Harden's intensity will carry over to the regular season?

[Mr Exlax]

I most certainly do not. The main reason he won't is because we still have Kevin McHale as our head coach. I keep seeing other Rockets fans going off the deep end cause he's playing hard and shit. I guess they forgot he did this same old song and dance during the preseason last year.

[riseagainst]

i wanna see him average 27ppg on 65%TS, 42%FG.

[YouGotServed]

Nobody cares about the regular season.

[Brokenbeat]

I think Harden will go flaccid

[Milbuck]

Relax, dude. He'll mature eventually. It's gonna take 2 or 3 more Lillards but he'll get there.

[MP.Trey]

You mean this kinda intensity?

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/195qjulk0epqpgif/ku-xlarge.gif

or this kinda intensity?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bvmk5ybW4jQ/U17SwY9h3RI/AAAAAAAAFt0/5RdPMiWQpmY/s1600/harden.gif

[KungFuJoe]

No. You can't change your true colors. It's like a conservative boxer who says he's gonna throw more punches his next fight.

Ain't gonna happen.

[Mr Exlax]

He's clearly the leader on Team USA. I figure that's why he's competing so hard. That and the great coaches. Oh well. I'll enjoy it for now.

[Milbuck]

He's clearly the leader on Team USA.
You are so ****ing delusional my goodness :oldlol:

1) He isn't even a top 3 player on the team..Rose, Davis, and Curry are much better. Irving and Lillard too.

2) Putting in zero effort into adapting to the players around you and being a complete ballstopper isn't leading.

[Mr Exlax]

I keep reading and hearing Coach K refer to him as the leader of the team, I just don't think McHale commands the same respect out of Harden. New coach and all is well.

[kentatm]

nah

he will get even more disinterested in playing D IMO

[Smook A.]

You are so ****ing delusional my goodness :oldlol:

1) He isn't even a top 3 player on the team..Rose, Davis, and Curry are much better. Irving and Lillard too.

2) Putting in zero effort into adapting to the players around you and being a complete ballstopper isn't leading.
Irving better than Harden? You gotta be joking.

[KungFuJoe]

Irving better than Harden? You gotta be joking.

I'm not Irving fan...but this is definitely debatable. They're both shot jackers who want the ball at all times and play no D.

[Milbuck]

I'm not Irving fan...but this is definitely debatable. They're both shot jackers who want the ball at all times and play no D.
Except that Kyrie in the world cup has been 10x better defensively and not a complete black hole on offense. It's no coincidence that the people who checked the box score think Harden is a monster, and the people who actually watched the game against Brazil think he's a ball hogging dipshit that was the sole reason team USA's offense struggled.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

I'm not Irving fan...but this is definitely debatable. They're both shot jackers who want the ball at all times and play no D.

Irving's lack of defense irritates me so much. I always felt he was overrated. If John Wall could turn around a team like the Wizards there is no reason why Irving couldn't make his Cavs a playoff team.

[Smook A.]

I'm not Irving fan...but this is definitely debatable. They're both shot jackers who want the ball at all times and play no D.
Ok so we know that both can't play defense.

Now look at the stats and team success

James Harden: 25/6/5/1.6 on 45.6/36.6/86.6 (Team success: 54 wins, Playoffs, 1st round loss)
Kyrie Irving: 21/6/4/1.5 on 43/36/86 (Team success: 33 wins, no playoffs)

Their stats are close. Assists, steals, 3 PT%, and FT%. Harden was the better scorer, a slightly better rebounder (height advantage) and had a better FG%.

On the team success part, obviously the Rockets had the better season.

I think in the end, Harden is better than Irving but not by a huge gap.

[j3lademaster]

Irving's lack of defense irritates me so much. I always felt he was overrated. If John Wall could turn around a team like the Wizards there is no reason why Irving couldn't make his Cavs a playoff team.Irving doesn't have the tools Wall has. Wall is an elite athlete at an all-time level.

[russwest0]

So James Harden doesn't play defense because Kevin McHale is his coach.

Scott Brooks is Russell Westbrook's coach, and Westbrook doesn't lack intensity at all.

Harden is a bum bro, get over it. If Houston fans would just admit this shit, we'd all be cool with them, but otherwise you guys get tons of hate for acting like he's a god when the rest of the NBA world has him pegged as Corey Maggette 2.0

[Mr Exlax]

So James Harden doesn't play defense because Kevin McHale is his coach.

Scott Brooks is Russell Westbrook's coach, and Westbrook doesn't lack intensity at all.

Harden is a bum bro, get over it. If Houston fans would just admit this shit, we'd all be cool with them, but otherwise you guys get tons of hate for acting like he's a god when the rest of the NBA world has him pegged as Corey Maggette 2.0

If Brooks was the coach of the Rockets I'm sure Harden would be playing defense. You can say he's a bum all you want but he's the leader of team usa right now. Best SG in the nba right now. Pretty damn good to me.

This nicca say Corey Magette lol. You a funny dude.

[russwest0]

If Brooks was the coach of the Rockets I'm sure Harden would be playing defense.

:facepalm I guess you Rockets fans will never learn.

[Le Shaqtus]

What intensity? He never had it to begin with.

Maybe he'll carry it over in flops at best.

[oarabbus]

So James Harden doesn't play defense because Kevin McHale is his coach.

Scott Brooks is Russell Westbrook's coach, and Westbrook doesn't lack intensity at all.

Harden is a bum bro, get over it. If Houston fans would just admit this shit, we'd all be cool with them, but otherwise you guys get tons of hate for acting like he's a god when the rest of the NBA world has him pegged as Corey Maggette 2.0


Not a good example at all, Westbrook is simply a BEAST and wants to dominate on both ends of the floor.

[russwest0]

Not a good example at all, Westbrook is simply a BEAST and wants to dominate on both ends of the floor.

Thats precisely my point. Rockets fans need to stop with this bullshit "Harden doesn't play defense cause his coach sucks!" Harden's now chucked Houston out of two first round playoff series and yet they continue to deflect the blame... :facepalm

Durant averages 30/9/4 on 46% shooting in the postseason vs three incredibly tough teams and the whole media is acting like he got "shut down" out there. Harden plays like complete ass and costs his team a 2nd round shot and Houston fans are trying to deflect the blame... :facepalm

[oarabbus]

Thats precisely my point. Rockets fans need to stop with this bullshit "Harden doesn't play defense cause his coach sucks!"

Harden's now chucked Houston out of two first round playoff series and yet they continue to deflect the blame... :facepalm

Durant averages 30/9/4 on 46% shooting in the postseason vs three incredibly tough teams and the whole media is acting like he got "shut down" out there.

Harden plays like complete ass and costs his team a 2nd round shot and Houston fans are trying to deflect the blame... :facepalm

Alright, I see what you're saying. I thought you were trying to say Scotty B makes him play good D.

Anyway, yeah it's pretty funny how Houston fans see Harden with rose-colored glasses. The guy plays a losing style of ball just like many other players, Stephon Marbury etc.

[Milbuck]

If Brooks was the coach of the Rockets I'm sure Harden would be playing defense. You can say he's a bum all you want but he's the leader of team usa right now. Best SG in the nba right now. Pretty damn good to me.

This nicca say Corey Magette lol. You a funny dude.
How long are you and other Rockets fans going to keep deflecting? How many times does your team, lead by that bearded dipshit, have to get embarrassed in the first round before you guys hold him accountable? He isn't a ****ing role player, he's your franchise player..it's his own damn responsibility to give a shit. If he has to be constantly berated to play a lick of defense and not be a complete black hole on offense, he's just really not that good to begin with. Great players don't put in the absolute minimum amount of effort into the game and play the system....they know what they want and what they need, how to get it, and they go out and do it. "If Brooks was the coach"....FOH.

And Corey Maggette was a 20ppg player over 7 seasons..Harden is a slightly rich man's Corey Maggette. It's nothing to be ashamed of, that's just who he is - a good player. Nothing more. Sure as hell not a franchise #1 or the centerpiece of a championship team...just a good player. Accept what you have and appreciate it.

[JohnFreeman]

How long are you and other Rockets fans going to keep deflecting? How many times does your team, lead by that bearded dipshit, have to get embarrassed in the first round before you guys hold him accountable? He isn't a ****ing role player, he's your franchise player..it's his own damn responsibility to give a shit. If he has to be constantly berated to play a lick of defense and not be a complete black hole on offense, he's just really not that good to begin with. Great players don't put in the absolute minimum amount of effort into the game and play the system....they know what they want and what they need, how to get it, and they go out and do it. "If Brooks was the coach"....FOH.

And Corey Maggette was a 20ppg player over 7 seasons..Harden is a slightly rich man's Corey Maggette. It's nothing to be ashamed of, that's just who he is - a good player. Nothing more. Sure as hell not a franchise #1 or the centerpiece of a championship team...just a good player. Accept what you have and appreciate it.
ether :applause:

[Mr Exlax]

I think once McHale is outta there and we get a hard nosed coach Harden will become a complete player.

[YouGotServed]

I think once McHale is outta there and we get a hard nosed coach Harden will become a complete player.

I agree. Nobody other than Howard played defense last year. That's on McHale.

Houston just needs a better coach.

[Mr Exlax]

The good thing is that he's still so young. Those bad habits can still be corrected.

[hawksdogsbraves]

I don't know if he's top 3 on team USA in terms of talent, but everything I've seen and everything Coach K has said shows me he is one of the real leaders of the team.

That's been really impressive to me, I've never been the biggest fan of his but that along with him talking about how he wants to committ to the defensive side of the ball shows me he has what it takes to be the leader of a really good team.

I hope it transfers over to the regular season, I agree though that McHale is a shitty coach.

[UK2K]

[UK2K]

You are so ****ing delusional my goodness :oldlol:

1) He isn't even a top 3 player on the team..Rose, Davis, and Curry are much better. Irving and Lillard too.

2) Putting in zero effort into adapting to the players around you and being a complete ballstopper isn't leading.
Coach K disagrees with you.

Now make a comment about his beard because you are proven wrong again.

[BrownEye007]

Irving's lack of defense irritates me so much. I always felt he was overrated. If John Wall could turn around a team like the Wizards there is no reason why Irving couldn't make his Cavs a playoff team.
Wizards weren't good till last year. Wall has been in the league longer than Kyrie. Kind of unfair to expect Irving to do more than Wall in less seasons.

[Mr Exlax]

He was the leader on the team again last night.

[dunksby]

His beard's density will be there for sure.