Max Kellerman had another preposterous take, but this one makes sense

May 23, 2019

2 min read

I summed up what the summer months bring in the sports world perfectly in my last article, which you can read here. So when this scorching hot take came across the timeline today, I was inclined to ignore it. But I don’t know whether it was my level or boredom, my curiosity to see what kind of nonsense Max Kellerman would spew next, or a combination or both, but I clicked on the video. And I’ve got to tell you, he’s making a whole lot of sense.

I’m not saying that James Harden isn’t an incredibly talented player, he is. But is he a Top 5 player in the NBA? Probably not. In terms of talent, Harden is just as bit as good as the five other players Kellerman listed - Giannis, Kawhi, KD, Steph and Lebron - but he doesn’t showcase it enough. Harden’s level of talent is sky-high but so are the number of free throw attempts. The excessive flopping, whining for calls and offensive fouls that should be called but are not, make Harden’s game almost unwatchable. And that is exactly the reason why Harden can’t take that next step in the playoffs.

Sure, the flopping and whining will get you 20 free throw attempts against the Orlandos and New Orleans of the world in the regular season. But as soon as you go up against the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs? Harden can say bye-bye to those calls and bye-bye to a series win.

If Harden were to move away from the flopping and crying then he may very well have a chance of advancing to a Western Conference Finals and even and NBA Finals, and then he would be counted among the Top 5 players in the NBA, but until then, I can’t list him among the likes of Lebron, Steph and KD.

But the question remains, is Harden an All-NBA player this season? In all likelihood, yes.

The benefit for Harden is that the All-NBA list is a list of the top players in the NBA this particular season, not necessarily the best five players in the game. Despite the antics and the way Harden gets his numbers, he still averaged 36 points per game this season, which is insane. And on top of that he carried the Rockets to a top-four finish in the West. Kawhi, KD and Giannis are all locks for All-NBA, which means that Harden would most likely take the place of Steph or Lebron. Personally, I’d put Harden in over Lebron. Lebron missed 27 games and the Lakers finished an abysmal 37-45. You then have the issue of guys like Damian Lillard, Paul George and Nikola Jokic.

So, while I believe in Kellerman’s argument that Harden is not a Top 5 player in the NBA, the Rockets guard is still going to make the All-NBA list this season, making this yet another bad take by Max. And while we’re on the subject, please enjoy some more of Kellerman’s horrific takes.

Using Durant as an argument for why Harden isn't a top five player is bananas after saying this just months ago.