₦airaland Forum

SmooshCHN:
Hand check is more reason why Harden would find it difficult to look like a star. One man here doesn't need to flop and flail around for 10fts/game to average 30pts. Muggsy Bogues, Spud webb, Steve Nash, Jason Williams, Jason kidd, John Stockton thrived. Same with Curry. he definitely would have been the same superstar he is now and never have been a bench player 20yrs ago with this talent..

nope. that is why i mentioned his strength. Jordan had to get stronger, without necessarily bulking up. Kobe had to, TMac had to,Nowitzki had to, because the league was much more physical early in their career. Harden might not get the same calls, but he will still be at the rim.

Pls dont mention Curry in the same breath as Kidd or Stockton or Bogues. Those guys were animals...they would hold their own on the court or in the streets. Curry is just not built like that. Nothing wrong with Curry being Curry, but hes not a roughneck

Eruditor:
Then I concluded that there is an extra spice that you may be purposely ignoring: Harden hand checks and flops and the refs buy it.

eheeeeeen! now u have come out. after all dis grammar. so it is flop that is making Harden MVP abi? ok bros

A40:
I don't quite get those people. As a ballplayer that looks like Melo what are the odds he would never cheat? That's why I wonder why they bother with marriage. Shey whoever Lala ends up with next no go cheat too?

Melo actually might be one of the few ballers that can do without cheating - dude is low key all the time. Even on her reality show, he was that type of dude thats all good once his woman is good. But all men gat limits . Lala leave the guy for NYC dey para for LA. When she comes back home to NYC, the few times that Melo doesnt have a road game and is at home, your large NYC family is in all your business. Enough to make anyone checkout.

Last last, e no go work - I hope Melo finds something stable. Grown men no suppose dey roam streets

SmooshCHN:
As usual, but birdman will say Harden is intelligent hence the funny calls he gets. He's the MVP for sure.

So u dont think he is intelligent. ok

SmooshCHN:
Oluwamelo done suffer small sha. Lala said he's fine with Powers but he never watched the series. Anyone would brick free throws when they remember those scenes with Tommy. I feel for him though.

of course he is fine with it - u know how many Lala replicas dey NYC? One of Melo's side pieces even looks exactly like her. Hollywood na man's game o. sometimes it is better not to play

Eruditor:
Core and leg strength.

dey laugh me nau...is ok. wetin be ur team again. juss asking o

Eruditor:
Hmmm.

Yes, both coaches prior to MDA incorporated 3pt shooting into their play but to claim the talent level for that type of game is the same now beggars belief. All these because you are trying to justify Harden's obscene FT numbers.

I am lost now on your second train of thought. If he is strong but does not look it why does he get the fouls compared to other elite PGs? If he is strong and still looks it then why does he get the fouls and not other strong players like Lebron?

The bare fact is, there is no head or tail as to why that is so except that he sells the fouls and the refs buy it for reasons best known to them. It is the same reason nobody calls Lebrons travels or offensive foul charges. Or the same reason Harden gets away with his travels on those step back 3s as well.

It could also be the same reason CP3 gets away with a lot of dirty plays like shoving players etc which they call great D but if Zaza does it, he was trying to kill the player.

It is the same innate, inexplicable reason that a player that avoids contact as much as possible, still uses his quickness of thought, range of shooting and finesse to go to the rim will still get overlooked for fouls that when he defends the same way against other players he is charged for.

Lebron said shooters are favored, well, Curry is the best there is and may have ever been. Yet he does not top that chart and never has. But Harden shoots, and it became his excuse.

Okay, Harden drives consistently with strong core and leg strength, I am guessing Russell, Lebron, KD do so consistently - we can even go to Wade in his prime to find that he never posted Hardens FT numbers - and just like him, the other people on that list don't post Hardens numbers.

Harden plays for a great 3pt shooting team with mad spacing? Curry is like, been there done that..still doing that. It is because it is Harden's time? It was not his time 14,15,16 and 17.

Every argument you would make for him would be inconsistent when used for another player. Or I guess we just have to take MDA's words that although certain players do certain things better than Harden, he is just the best at combining everything together.

We would see how true that is, when the stakes get higher.

dude you are all over the place. Lets start from the end.

Curry vs Harden: Both can shoot, both are on good teams with god spacing. Harden gets into the paint more because he is stronger. No more explanation needed for this. If you still dont understand, bro, go play some street ball and hit the gym for 6 months. You will see the difference between when you started and when you ended.

Curry vs Wade: Both are strong guards. But Harden shoots better, so he gets guarded closer than Wade. Which is why Wade developed his pump fake, to give him the advantage Harden naturally has.


Harden vs KD: KD is not a guard. Even though he likes to slash to the paint and can shoot, he gets guarded by a forward usually, not a traditional guard. And if you note, KD is usually not strong enough to beat his guard if he is not already on a fastbreak. Instead, he takes unguardable, tough fadeaways and makes them. He's a superstar like that

Harden vs Lebron: Do I need to go further here? Technically, they have two different games

Harden vs Russell: Good comparison here, both are strong at their positions and are both guards. Russell unfortunately settles more than he needs to. And he doesnt have Harden's footwork.

In short, you keep trying to say refs are giving Harden home cooking, but I keep showing you why he has a set of skills that allows him to get to the rim easy. Opponents dont have to foul him. They could just let his score, but they choose to foul him because its good basketball.

If you want your Curry to be getting the same FTs, he can go ask Nowitzki how he transformed from a finesse shooter to a legit forward. If you wind back the clock 10 years, Curry will be a bench player. Harden would still be a superstar. Because the game was more physical, you could hand check and contact was allowed.

Eruditor:
1 and 3 where seasons 2014/15 & 15/16 where Rockets did not have as much talent or spacing as they have now yet Harden was still posting incredible FT numbers. My point there was to prove that your case for him in 2017/18 is being checkmated by those years.

I cant disagree with the bulk of what you are saying. However, the rockets were just as talented in years 1 and 3...maybe you have forgotten how good they were. Remember we had Adelman, then McHale before DAntoni - we have always had the 3 ball and spacing and ball movement

And then speaking of strength, I hope you know being taller or having bigger arms does not equate to strength? Harden is a strong player but I have never seen anyone describe it as the strength of his game.

You arent listening enough. Harden IS strong. He doesnt have the muscular shape because he really doesnt focus on the upper body, but he has core and leg strength. You need that core strength to be able to make contact and finish.

In fact, anytime you see a guard who can "walk" into the paint and finish, that is a sign of leg and core strength. Another good example is Dwade. Contrast that with smaller guards Curry and Lillard. One guard I know who is in between is John Wall. He plays like a smaller guard, but some games he gets inspired and wil take the ball to basket with lots of contact.

Google all these guards workouts, and you will see what I mean

Eruditor:
Let us put this theory to the test: 2014, 2015, 2016 Houston are not this 3pt shooting team MDA has made them out to be. But look at Harden's numbers.

Then the excuse was that he knew how to draw fouls. When GSW fans made a case for Curry, the argument was that we were a 3pt shooting team. Funny, now that same excuse is being used for Harden and somehow Curry is being robed into it again.

First is 2014/15 second is 2016/17 third is 2015/16.

Even if we give 2016/17 to 3pt shooting how do we explain 1 and 3?

what 1 and 3?

It is not about knowing how to draw fouls, as if you fake a shot like dwade and make your defender bite. Harden gets fouled because he gets past his opponents. He gets past his opponents because they guard him too closely at the 3pt line. Once he gets past, good basketball is to foul him. You dont want uncontested layups.

So, what part of what I just described is wrong, that you disagree with? Lets start from there. For example, I do not think Curry should get the same amount of free throws that Harden gets, even though they Warriors are a better 3pt team. Why? Curry's game is not as physical as Harden, which makes sense, as Curry is not as strong as Harden. Curry must play more finesse against his man into the paint, Harden is strong enough to walk the ball into the paint and force the issue.

No?

Eruditor:
If we use the stats, Rockets are the number 1 team in 3PA. 27th or 28th in points in the paint yet number 2 in FTsA. Even the maths shows something is wrong with the team that barely goes to the paint, shooting way more FTs than others who do.

Bros, having a potent outside offense always opens up the paint. Your opponent must defend the 3 point line if you are a good 3pt shooting team.This leaves your interior empty. If a slasher like Harden beats his man, help defense has to sag to protect the paint. Many times, you cant get back fast enough and have to foul anyways - so you dont see paint points, but you will see FTs. Which is why a good attacker like Harden is living at the FT line. Even Shawn Marion on DAntonis suns used to live off the paint like this, so much so people thought he was that good. As it turns out, it was the perimeter defense leaving openings in the paint for a slasher. Harden is so much better in that he is not only a slasher, but he can make the 3 as well.

If you cursorily check my previous posts on this issue, I have conceded that Lebron does not get as much fouls as he deserves but he is not the one to make that complaint especially when compared to Curry because Lebron still gets a 100 more FTs than Curry.

Bros stop it. If Curry gets fouled like Lebron, he will miss a week on injured list. Lebron gets fouled HARD, but because he is strong, they look like love taps. Lebron gets fouled in obvious ways with no call, Curry gets fouled in low key ways, like hitting his wrist or arm. You think Lance Stephenson can blow kisses at Curry like he did Lebron and not get a technical? You think anyone can wrap themselves around Curry while he is the air and not get thrown out of the game? C'mon now

SmooshCHN:
This table you're shaking has you on it as the Chairman.. I mentioned this the other day, you decided to make it all about Curry and said all the calls Harden gets is due to his brilliance as if the best player in the league and other superstars aren't brilliant. Now you're shouting. Oti oo!! You can't be complaining now. The refs are totally right. The players are complaining too much including Warriors and Cavs fans.. Let's stop whinning and let Harden (MVP, with or without the calls he gets) keep enjoying the luxury.

Man, don't twist my words. I was very clear that Harden or Curry o, let the calls be the same for everybody. You guys are partial on the bad calls. When its Harden or LBJ or any player you dont care for, you are ok. When its your player, particularly Curry or GS, you have a problem.

And you guys demonstrated that again today. I talk about LBJ not getting calls. You guys said its fake news (eruditor). Right on cue, Lebron gets fouled back to back on 3s, no calls. Then you guys go silent. If it was Curry that got fouled like that, we will not rest for the next week .

The same rules that apply to Curry must apply to HArden must apply to LBJ. Why is this hard to understand

MitrikDenholm:
Three times he's been smacked in the first quarter including an elbow to the face that required a timeout. But some clowns here who I strongly doubt even watch NBA games will come and tell you "Oooh LeBron gets many calls".

He got fouled on back to back threes. The second time a body check, still no call....smh

Eruditor:
Fake news. Fake news!

bros abeg leave me out of una crossfire o. e get yoruba proverb wey i for quote for here, but, abeg let me take my leave before stray bullet find my domot

Donlittle:
bruh bron gets a lot of calls though, you aint gotta slide his name in there.

no he doesnt. watch again abeg. even if you dont think love taps are fouls, fouling on the hand taking the ball to the basket is a foul any day. You cant touch that shooting arm, but Lebron gets molested constantly as defenders try to strip the ball

A40:
I just want consistency. What's good for the Jews should be good for Uganda. If you are going to be whistle happy then kuku blow for every contact so the players know the ref has a loose whistle on the night. If not then don't blow at all rather than favor one team over the other

shey everybody agrees now. You guys see how the league dey molest big men. "Their" argument is that if you let skilled big men get the calls harden and curry get, they will drop 40 nightly. Even shaq was a victim. Imagine if refs called touch fouls on lebron, thebrowdavis, shaq - these guys will be unstoppable. That is why I am not too keen on all these player comparisons, who is the GOAT, who is this , who is that. The NBA is partially rigged, in an oyinbo sort of way. The rigging is so smooth there is no solid evidence to convict. Flashy guards make for flashy games which brings more money. End of story.

joephemzyz:
i don show!!!!

lol..dis man, fear God nau

SmooshCHN:
Tyron Lue has to be the softest coach to ever lead a team.
Who gave this man the job?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faqS4crP0pE&ab_channel=ESPN



This Cavs team will have a lot of excuse when they fail and we don't want any of it..

Nothing wrong with it. This is a grown man's team. Anything short of finals is failure and they are staring at failure right now. Lue and Lebron are like childhood friends, so you can expect them to communicate at a level other people wont dare. Lue needs to step up, Lebron needs to get his mind right. Its almost game time

lolawilliams:
Rockets would be a good place but I don't think that will be possible. Philly has tons of cap spaces expiring this year. I think he would go to Philly

Lebron on Rockets - oh boy . Good to see you posting again maam

Donlittle:
was this recent again?

beginning of this season


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1w2iWsaU4

Donlittle:
kevin mchale?

yup. lowlife

Folks, this is the last week of nairaleague - next week its playoffs, in case someone didnt know. who is sylvanus btw? pls comot sodiq for dis playoffs o, for joephemzyz sake

Decale:
These Rockets should keep some Ws abeg. I don't want to hear any choke story in the playoffs. Harden, especially you....

Ditto, the rest of the top 3 that are having one streak or the other. Somebody break this shït up


In other news, since Gobert has been back, the Jazz has the best defense in the NBA and have gone on a 10 game winning streak (16-2 run currently). This is the kind of jazz I need in my life no pun intended.

i know what you mean...some of those wins feel like video game, and I know playoffs will be tougher. That said, I like Harden's mentality this year. He is forcing the issue more than he used to. I think CP3 and the diss by former coach (cant remember his name right now) are helping.

Decale:
This lone alpha thing dey sweet LeBron

First 30k/8k/8k and just averaged a triple double for the month. Has 850 consecutive games of scoring in double figures. He'll probably bag his seventh consecutive February player of the month. And he's 33...

IT, please come back

IT: to coman do what?!! to come an do what nau

SmooshCHN:
I don't how you think or comprehend things but anyways, as I said, the calls Harden gets are crazy if you disagree that's what you should say not make it a Curry discussion cos that's not the case I put up. And I'm open to see when players couldn't breathe on Curry. I guess opponents too couldn't breathe on other players on that list at one time too. LeBron's complaints are legit as well as other superstars who don't get equal treatments. That's the point i'm passing across. It's about calls not Curry and it's ok to flatout disagree take your advice and keep kawyet.

nah man, no keeping quiet on this! i just dont remeber you having an issue with non calls when warriors were on top. I cant think how many regular season games cavs and warriors played where Lebron would get hammered, no call. Curry would flinch and they almost want to call flagrant. You were cool with it then. Now that Harden is getting calls and Curry is mortal again, you have issues.

But guess what? Harden actually gets those calls because he deserves them. Just like Curry used to use his 3pt accuracy to get you to bite on defense, Harden tries to get you off balance, and you must follow him, otherwise he knocks down the 3. If you decide to follow him, you then have to watch out for his unconventional moves, otherwise you end up hitting his arm or bodying him more than you should. Of course you could have another player help you on defense, but that leaves on of those 3pt shooters open.

You just need to respect the craft, instead of trying to throw shade at the MVP. I say trying because we the dawgs in the west right now. Put some respeck on it

SmooshCHN:
If every superstar gets the calls James Harden gets, they'll have an added 8-10+ on their average if they can make their free throws. I watched Anthony Davis, LeBron, Kyrie, Curry, Derozan get shoved around all season long (no problem if refs didn't call a foul) but no one can even breath on Harden. Even when he initiate contact, locks his arm on yours, etc.. He just flails his arms for no fuckíng reason and get calls.. Players don't even seem to try stop him anymore cos he'll go to the line 1 million times.. MVP no doubt however, its unfair.

where was this epistle when you couldnt even breathe on curry and not get called for a foul. keep kwayet!

A40:
Lmaoo you know the Rockets just added Joe Johnson right?

*giggles*

Roland17:
When you play poorly in the garden, you get booed, it's that simple. This is a very mobile and flexibility Cavs side. This was a beat down and a very poor defensive performance. Kind of reminds me of the loss against the Raptors when the game was over before the end of the 3rd.

Credit to the Cavs, well deserved.

couldnt catch this game - was this just a fluke, or cavs really that much faster in just one game?

Roland17:
I feel sad for Jae and IT, they were caught up in the business of the NBA. Jae has to re-establish his defensive intensity first, before the focus on his offense. While at Boston, his improved offense particularly the 3 point shooting was predicated on his defense.

Hopefully Jae has some defensive rep left. I would hate to see this guy racking dnps for no reason.

VivaLaByke:
Isaiah Thomas and clique already trying to ruin the franchise with the best team chemistry in the NBA.


Lmaooooooooooooo....Get the buyout you imp.


Only one captain in this ship,and it's not you.

No, he is staying in LA. No way magic lets this one slip by. Ball is done

Selfishly not liking the IT trade. LA will be perfect for his style of play, but I would have liked to see him in the playoffs with the cavs.
It is obvious Lue was clueless on how to use him

Decale:
Rockets blowout won't do shït


Its teams like Hawks, Lakers and Mavs that'd ignite a decision

Unfortunately you might be right. I swear there are d leaguers that can play better. I think coach lue is gone. Dude won one ring, and never got better

A40:
No jokes apart. Never crossed my mind

Lol me neither. Na bros I dey call ewuro o. Choi