The US media chose all-star to ignore Harden's controversy: he did not deserve to be selected this season

After the results of the first stage of the 2022 All-Star Game fan vote were announced, James Harden was ranked 2nd in the Eastern Conference backcourt. At this pace, Harden is expected to become an All-Star starter. However, The Athletic experts Hollinger and Robbins believe that Harden does not deserve to be an All-Star this year, and there is no Harden in the All-Star list they selected.

In this list, the Eastern Conference starting backcourt consists of DeRozan and Trae Young, and DeRozan's starting is beyond doubt, but whether Young has the qualification to start is debatable. Two experts believe Young has done everything on the offensive end, with his scoring average ranking 4th in the league and his 3rd place in assists per game. Although the Eagles have a win rate of less than 50%, Yang's contribution cannot be ignored.

Among the Eastern Conference substitutes, the two experts selected defenders include Juju Holliday, Zach Lavin, VanVleet and LaMelho Ball. As for why Harden was not chosen, the reason for the two experts was: "Among these players, Harden is still a clever blocker, but he has lost some explosive power, and his three-point shooting rate has declined significantly." Defensively, Harden often 'paddled' in the first half of the season. ”

This season, Ha has averaged 22.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 1.3 steals, scoring, shooting percentage, three-point shooting rate have declined, and it is also true that he often lacks concentration on the defensive end, which is also Harden's old problem. However, the two experts did not include Harden in the All-Star team or caused a lot of controversy, especially the views of the two experts in the review were questioned by fans as "double standards".

Because Yang's defense is not good, it can even be classified as the "worst defensive" gear, and the Eagles' poor defensive efficiency is inseparable from Yang. And this season's Eagles record has declined seriously, as the team's star, Yang should certainly be responsible. As for the all-Star race, Young's defense is worse than Harden's, and his record is not as good as Harden's, and the two experts believe that Young is more worthy of starting than Harden, and it is difficult to convince fans.

VanVleet and the three-goal may deserve an All-Star spot, but whether they should replace Harden is another matter. VanVleet averaged 22 points and 6.6 assists per game, which was the peak of his career, but compared to the statistics and records, Harden was above VanVleet. The same is true for three goals, he is inferior to Harden in terms of statistics and record, and the Hornets' defense is now in the 4th to last place.

One fan's comments in the comments section represented the voice of many people: "There is only one person in the history of the NBA who has averaged at least 22 points, 8 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game, and the true shooting rate has reached at least 58%, that is, Harden in 2016-17 and Harden this season." Even if Harden doesn't play his past level, he's still an All-Star. ”

Attached: The Athletic's all-star roster

eastern

Starting lineup: DeRozan, Young, Antetokounmpo, Durant, Embiid

Substitutes: Jarrett Allen, Butler, Holliday, LaVine, VanVleet, three goals

Players nominated but not selected: Harden, Sabonis Jr., Beal, Capela, Middleton

westward

Starting lineup: Curry, Paul, Jokic, James, Gobert

Substitutes: Booker, Doncic, Draymond Green, Donovan Mitchell, Morant, Towns, Anthony Davis

Players nominated but not selected: Lillard, George, Dejuntay Murray, Mikael Bridges, Ayton, Wiggins