Quote:
Originally Posted by mcaj22
LOL what. Any GM, analytics nerd, or basketball fan would take the 24 year old combo guard with room to grow over the 30 year old journeymen guard.
You Westbrook homers are just mad because that Rockets scheme worked when nobody expected it to. James Harden is elevating the play of a bunch of 30 year old journeyman and you're only counter is "well those guys are more talented than what Westbrook has to work with"
It's really a joke. Like nobody building a roster in their right mind would take 31 year old Trevor Ariza over the 23 year old 7 foot center Steven Adams.
You're just reaching at that point and you don't want to admit that James Harden's efficiency and floor spacing scheme with a bunch of spare parts is beating the Thunder and their younger talent, 3 of which are on maxed contracts.
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Who's play is being elevated though really?
Gordon? Nope. Statistically, he is not having even close to his best year. Percentages are all down.
Ariza? Nope. Same thing. His percentages are not at the top of his career.
Beverley? Nope. His shooting percentages this year are not better than other years of his career.
Lou Williams? All of his percentages were substantially better when he was a Laker.
Ryan Anderson? Nope While his eFG% is better than the last couple of years, his FG% is down this year, and his 3P% is below some of his other seasons.
Bottom line is, people saying Harden is making these guys what they are currently, are talking out of their ass. The Rockets simply have better players around Harden than what Russ has around him. The idea that Harden is making these players is not based on anything. If that was really the case, these guys would all be having career years. They arent.
Meanwhile, Victor Oladipo, who isnt a very good player, is having a career year in FG%, 3P%, and eFG%.
But Russ doesnt make the players around him better and Harden does.