Harden reveals his ideal lineup! The truth about not choosing Paul, Durant Irving is too ironic

33-year-old Harden recently opened his heart and talked about his "dream five": Irving, Westbrook, himself, Durant, and Embiid. As soon as this list was announced, the fans were in a panic! This is not a casual teammate? It is clearly Harden's affectionate look back at his NBA career for more than ten years, and it is also a living "superstar cooperation apocalypse"!

Choose yourself? That's a real skill!

Harden said that choosing himself is not narcissism, it is supported by hard power. From the Thunder's super sixth man to the Rockets' transformation into absolute core, he has mastered the skill of "retreatment three-pointer + European step", and has averaged 36 points per game in a single season! What's even more awesome is that he can also double-double assists for five consecutive seasons, and has won the assists and scored the scorer. He is a real "offensive engine". Whether it was the youth storm of the Thunder's "Three Young Masters" in the early years, or the later "light bulb combination" with Paul, the Rockets' top regular season, and the Nets' brief glory of the three giants, it proved that Harden can adapt to various superstars.

Westbrook: The brotherhood of Fast and Furious

Selecting the peak Westbrook hides Harden's regret for the 2012 Thunder Finals defeat. At that time, the three brothers were young and energetic, and almost overthrew the three Heat giants. Ten years later, they met again in the Rockets, and the two teamed up to score the terrifying double 54+15+15 data! Unfortunately, injuries and running-in issues prevent this MVP combination from going further. Harden knew that Westbrook's explosive power was amazing, but in that playoffs he carried the injured Westbrook alone and was eventually eliminated, he understood the importance of stable output.

Durant + Irving: The Nets' fireworks are gorgeous and short-lived

and Durant and Irving were selected at the same time, exposing Harden's complex mood about the Nets' time. In 2021, the three giants "Haduo" have historical strengths, and all three of them are tough players who average 25+ per game! What's the result? After only 16 regular season games, Harden left sadly with a accurate triple-double average. Harden admitted that Irving had top-notch combat and counterattack ability (think Irving's 40-point reversal of the Celtics in a single game in the playoffs), and also recognized Durant's unsolvable "drawing his sword" at a critical moment (he had seen it in 2012). The Nets could have won the championship, but they had no choice but to lose to injuries, which became the biggest "if" in Harden's heart.

Embid: Philadelphia's unsatisfactory talent and regrets

The election of Embiid is a recognition of the strength of the "active number one center" and a reflection on the unsuccessful career of Philadelphia's cooperation. The two picked-and-roll cooperation made the 76ers a strong Eastern Conference team, and won 51 wins in their first full season. But Embiid's performance dropped sharply (average of nearly 8 points per game) and his defensive dominance did not meet expectations, especially in the 2023 Eastern Semi-Decision against the Celtics. Fans always ask, "Why can't the emperor enter the Eastern Conference Final?" In Harden's view, Embiid has the best talent, but has been injured in key battles (knees, fingers), and later his playing style has become more and more outside-level three-pointers, and his lack of inside-line lethality at critical moments has become a stumbling block to cooperation. "Basketball competitions are not only about paper strength," Harden's words may point out the crux of the problem.

Unselected: The lessons of Paul and Howard

Why don't you choose Paul? Harden's sentence "Paul's upper limit is not high" is worthy of fun. In the 2018 Western Conference Final tiebreak, Paul was absent due to a hamstring injury, and Harden could not bear the defeat to the Warriors. That was the closest Harden had to the championship, and Paul's injury became a turning point in his fate. As for Howard, Harden was silent. In the Rockets, the two broke up because of "who is the main attack on the inside", and the Rockets, who have the top defense in the league, failed to make a breakthrough in the end. These experiences make Harden pay more attention to whether players can integrate into his "core ball holding" system when forming a team.

Why do superstars always struggle to win the championship if they join together?

Harden's career is a textbook that is "invincible on paper, but regretful in the end". The third young master of Thunder, Rockets Lightbulb, Nets Big Three, Philadelphia Dennis... The lineup looks scary, but it always takes a breath. The Rockets League's first down West Final in 2018, and the Nets' Big Three were broken up by injuries in 2021... This is the ultimate charm of the NBA: talent accumulation does not mean victory. Team chemistry, health management, and hard work at critical moments are indispensable. Harden ranks Durant ahead of Leonard, which may be more of an emotional factor. After all, Kat proved in 2019 that the stability of the key ball is sometimes fatal than absolute talent - and this is exactly the missing link in Harden's brilliant resume.

Harden's ideal lineup list is like a make-up for his unfulfilled dream in his career. When choosing Westbrook, I miss brotherhood; when choosing Duo, I sigh that the Nets' dream was broken; when choosing Embiid, I regret that Philadelphia failed. As Harden himself realized: "After all, basketball games are more than just paper strength."