NBA Season/Playoffs 2025-26

[Vermont Green]

Harden is such a loser. He had more turnovers than FGs made. Again.

He should just hang it up

he should be a 3rd option at best right now. The biggest issue was he only had 12 assists.  Harden needs to be a better passer than he has been.  Thst is what killed them.  If he averaged 8 apg like he did in the regular season, then it would be different. Also, Harden had at least 8 regular season games this year with more turnovers than field goals (and a couple of more with the same).  This isn't just a playoff thing.  He is a play maker not a scorer, he just wasnt making plays. 

White had 2 games where his turnovers matched his field goals in the Sixer series. Castle has done it in the Thunder series.   Tertiary scorers from the PG position, this happens a lot more than people realize.  Harden, though had a history of doing it when he was a lead scorer so he just built up the reputation.

We're also five years, more or less, past the point that he left the Nets/Bucks playoff game with that hamstring injury and largely hasn't been the same scorer since.

Harden might be my least favourite star player of the last 20 years, but I think you're halfway right: not only does he consistently not show up during the playoffs, he arguably shouldn't be held to the standard of a leading scorer who has to at this point in his career.

I have never been a big Harden fan, he cares more about being "The Beard" than he does about winning, or so it seems to me.  I think it was worth a try by CLE to bring him in and give it a go, but Harden was jogging up and down the court last night.  He can be a good player at times, but he is never going to be a great player again.

The other issue with CLE is that Mitchell always wears down.  Not his fault necessarily, but he is not going to hold up if he has to carry the team, which is the case with the current CLE squad.

I thought maybe LeBron could join CLE and that a big (old) 3 of Mitchell, Harden, LeBron could give it one last go, but after last night (and the whole series), I am not so sure.  I would probably still try to get LeBron, you can always blow it up the following season, but it is probably going to take more than LeBron.

[Goldstar88]

Harden is such a loser. He had more turnovers than FGs made. Again.

He should just hang it up

he should be a 3rd option at best right now. The biggest issue was he only had 12 assists.  Harden needs to be a better passer than he has been.  Thst is what killed them.  If he averaged 8 apg like he did in the regular season, then it would be different. Also, Harden had at least 8 regular season games this year with more turnovers than field goals (and a couple of more with the same).  This isn't just a playoff thing.  He is a play maker not a scorer, he just wasnt making plays. 

White had 2 games where his turnovers matched his field goals in the Sixer series. Castle has done it in the Thunder series.   Tertiary scorers from the PG position, this happens a lot more than people realize.  Harden, though had a history of doing it when he was a lead scorer so he just built up the reputation.

We're also five years, more or less, past the point that he left the Nets/Bucks playoff game with that hamstring injury and largely hasn't been the same scorer since.

Harden might be my least favourite star player of the last 20 years, but I think you're halfway right: not only does he consistently not show up during the playoffs, he arguably shouldn't be held to the standard of a leading scorer who has to at this point in his career.

Can't root fora New York team in the finals.

Go free-throw merchant Shai OKC or go Wemby Spurs. The last time an NBA team repeated was the 2017-2018 playoff runs. I think they're due for it

Massively disagree here - I'd absolutely root for the Knicks over OKC, and probably the Spurs too.

Any particular reason why? I?m pulling for the Spurs at this point.

[Birdman]

Wow what a bunch of sore losers over in Cleveland. Saying they was better and complaining bout schedule lol. Just got whoop by Knicks so congrat them and move on

[Vermont Green]

As to the question of rooting for NYK or not, I will probably root for them.  I like that they are an old school team (meaning been in the league a long time) and will probably be the underdog vs. either OKC or SAS.  I tend to pull for the underdog when I otherwise don't have a dog in the fight.

Additionally, my beef with OKC is that I feel they massively tanked for years in order to get to where they are.  If they win again, it is bad for the league.  SAS tanked some also, but not for as many years and they didn't go as far as sitting a healthy player like OKC did with Horford.  Also, it is becoming pretty clear that SGA is a major flopper.  Hard to root for that.

[Moranis]

As to the question of rooting for NYK or not, I will probably root for them.  I like that they are an old school team (meaning been in the league a long time) and will probably be the underdog vs. either OKC or SAS.  I tend to pull for the underdog when I otherwise don't have a dog in the fight.

Additionally, my beef with OKC is that I feel they massively tanked for years in order to get to where they are.  If they win again, it is bad for the league.  SAS tanked some also, but not for as many years and they didn't go as far as sitting a healthy player like OKC did with Horford.  Also, it is becoming pretty clear that SGA is a major flopper.  Hard to root for that.

OKC missed the playoffs for only 3 years (and one of those years they won 40 games), San An missed the playoffs for 6 years including have the 2 worst records of those 9 seasons.  Horford missed a month and a half in a season the Thunder were 22-50. They were 11-17 with Horford,  and were 19-25 at the time he sat, which directly correlates to SGA getting hurt. The Thunder were 16-19 with SGA.  Once he got hurt, they tanked that season as they had no shot without SGA.  The Thunder were bad again the next year as they worked SGA back in and haven't been bad since.  1.5 seasons of tank.  The Spurs tanked for longer, had a much worse record, etc. 

[Kernewek]

Harden is such a loser. He had more turnovers than FGs made. Again.

He should just hang it up

he should be a 3rd option at best right now. The biggest issue was he only had 12 assists.  Harden needs to be a better passer than he has been.  Thst is what killed them.  If he averaged 8 apg like he did in the regular season, then it would be different. Also, Harden had at least 8 regular season games this year with more turnovers than field goals (and a couple of more with the same).  This isn't just a playoff thing.  He is a play maker not a scorer, he just wasnt making plays. 

White had 2 games where his turnovers matched his field goals in the Sixer series. Castle has done it in the Thunder series.   Tertiary scorers from the PG position, this happens a lot more than people realize.  Harden, though had a history of doing it when he was a lead scorer so he just built up the reputation.

We're also five years, more or less, past the point that he left the Nets/Bucks playoff game with that hamstring injury and largely hasn't been the same scorer since.

Harden might be my least favourite star player of the last 20 years, but I think you're halfway right: not only does he consistently not show up during the playoffs, he arguably shouldn't be held to the standard of a leading scorer who has to at this point in his career.

Can't root fora New York team in the finals.

Go free-throw merchant Shai OKC or go Wemby Spurs. The last time an NBA team repeated was the 2017-2018 playoff runs. I think they're due for it

Massively disagree here - I'd absolutely root for the Knicks over OKC, and probably the Spurs too.

Any particular reason why? I?m pulling for the Spurs at this point.

So, in their favour (Spike's Corner, if you will):
The Knicks have won it less recently than either other team;
The NBA is bigger & better the more the 'prestige' teams are good & winning championships (Celtics, Lakers [as long as it's not as many as the Celtics], Knicks, Bulls, Sixers etc. etc.);
I really only care about the NY/Boston rivalry as it pertains to baseball, and even then 2004 solved that for me (Yankees will always suck, but whatever);
Knicks fans have had to watch a metric tonne of awful basketball over the years;
It would be singularly incredible to watch Mike Breen calling an NBA Finals where the Knicks win.


On the other hand, I don't want the Knicks to win because:
Their ownership is awful - As anyone who has ever had to deal with James Dolan can attest, he really, genuinely, sucks;
New Yorkers can be the worst;
Related to the above, I am not a big fan of NYC.

So, on balance, go NYK.

[Donoghus]

I just can't with that Knicks fanbase.  Or just New York fans in general. 

[Kernewek]

I just can't with that Knicks fanbase.  Or just New York fans in general.

Agreed, but glass houses and all that.

[Who]

Harden finished the playoffs with 5.5 assists per game against 4.7 turnovers per game in 18 games.

That is terrible.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Harden finished the playoffs with 5.5 assists per game against 4.7 turnovers per game in 18 games.

That is terrible.

Possibly the greatest career disparity in regular season and playoff performance in league history.

[Goldstar88]

Harden finished the playoffs with 5.5 assists per game against 4.7 turnovers per game in 18 games.

That is terrible.

It is. JB was even worse with 3.3Ast/3.6TO. The season before he was 3.9Ast/3.5 TO. Brutal.

[Moranis]

Harden finished the playoffs with 5.5 assists per game against 4.7 turnovers per game in 18 games.

That is terrible.

It is. JB was even worse with 3.3Ast/3.6TO. The season before he was 3.9Ast/3.5 TO. Brutal.

but JB wasn't  coming from 7.7 apg and 3.2 tpg in the regular season like Harden was on the Cavs. So in regular season 2.4 assist to turnover ratio down to 1.17 in the playoffs.  Thst is bad.

[Donoghus]

OG is the fourth different player from the '19 Raptors to return to the Finals since winning that title.  None of the four is Kawhi.