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There is '2nd place depth' to the MVP race, but none of them are a contender to Harden, unless Harden misses a chunk of the season with injury.
LeBron is almost out of the race if Cleveland continue like this.
Curry and Durant cancel each other out.
The Bucks probably won't finish high enough for Greek to win it.
The Pelicans probably won't finish high enough for AD to win it.
Boston's defense gets way more credit than Kyrie's offense.
Butler could be a chance if Twolves finish near the top, but only if Butler's defense (and solid scoring) is considered more impressive than Harden's scoring/playmaking.
Harden fits the MVP narrative far more than everyone else, he's the best offensive player in the best (or 2nd best?) offensive team, and even if his form drops he still will be the favorite.
Maybe. On the other hand it might be something that glues the rockets together further as a squad.
I mean, on some level it's refreshing to see the rockets showing that much fire in their belly.
GS has more years of cohesion and talent so that's going to be an uphill fight but the Rockets have a very good squad.
I am not sold on the Rockets yet. Or, rather, I should say I am not sold on the Rockets beating GS in a seven game series.
I still question the leadership of Paul and Harden, but if this gets everyone on the same page, and gets the locker room totally together, than yes, it is a great thing.
I'm a week late with my customary half-season analysis, so I'll keep it very brief. East is going to come down to Raptors/Celtics, West to Rockets/Warriors. Warriors beginning to look like they are gonna run through everyone again, but I do think the Raps and C's present unique challenges for them...
I am not sold on the Rockets yet. Or, rather, I should say I am not sold on the Rockets beating GS in a seven game series.
I still question the leadership of Paul and Harden, but if this gets everyone on the same page, and gets the locker room totally together, than yes, it is a great thing.
The Rockets issues will not be leadership but the sustainability of their incredible offensive output in the playoffs. Last year, the Spurs' exceptional defense put the crunch on Harden--the question is whether the addition of Chris Paul makes that strategy impossible to execute, as there are now two multi-talented threats with the ball in their hands in Houston. This is not usually an offense that moves the ball a lot, so you have to wonder whether the increased defensive intensity in the playoffs will put a crunch on this high-powered offense.
The Rockets' the Rockets' plus defenders are underrated--Tucker, Ariza, Mbah-Amoute, and Capela. They can put length on the Warriors' scorers. Tucker and Ariza are just good enough at shooting that the Rox can play them without collapsing the floor spacing on offense. This will be an interesting matchup in the WCF (aka, the real Finals).
Quote:
Originally Posted by murksiderock
I'm a week late with my customary half-season analysis, so I'll keep it very brief. East is going to come down to Raptors/Celtics, West to Rockets/Warriors. Warriors beginning to look like they are gonna run through everyone again, but I do think the Raps and C's present unique challenges for them...
There's almost no chance for the road to the Finals not to go through Cleveland in the East. I'm not ready to buy the Raptors, who are consistently much better in the regular season than they are in the playoffs. Maybe this will be the year that they don't turn into a pumpkin . . .
The Cs have been playing great defense this year. I also think they are playing hard--harder than most teams play in the regular season. That's helping them rack up wins now, but I think they look better now than they will in the postseason.
Right in the middle of the season. Either they expected more from this roster, or something with him behind the scenes (given his past).
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