Harden was not as rejected by fans as Alexander in the past? Why?

G3 started today in the Western Conference Finals, and the Timberwolves led the Thunder 72-41 31 points in the first half. If the Thunder did not score in the second half, this game would be spent directly. Edwards showed a completely different performance from the first two games at the beginning, making 6 of 8 shots in the first quarter, 3 of 5 three-pointers, and scored 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in a single quarter, which directly shocked the Thunder.

The Timberwolves not only exploded on the offensive end, but also defended the defense, so the Thunder scored 14 points in the first quarter. Alexander played completely without aggressiveness and did not have free throws today. He only had two free throws until the third quarter.

fans finally found an opportunity to vent in the barrage area today. They criticized Alexander all the time. The most common thing they said was that they would not play without free throws, and they were almost one-sided. Few fans went to defend Alexander.

In fact, it is a bit strange. Why is Alexander so badly? Wasn't Harden also a "one-pointer" player at the beginning? There was no such one-sided situation at that time. Now it feels that fans are very repulsive of Alexander's "making free throws" style. It seems that all the fans are squirting, and they don't like his style of play. It's too easy for him to get a whistle, and he deliberately creates fouls.

Personally analyzed and compared it with Harden, I felt that there were three reasons:

1. Harden still fought some tough battles

As the Anti-Yang team in the Western Conference, the Rockets still gained a lot of fans. When I was talking about which team in the league was the best, there was no doubt that it had the Warriors who had the four giants Curry, Durant, Clay and Green. Commentary Tengxu also gave them the title of "Tsunami Brothers". However, the Rockets led by Harden still caused considerable trouble for the Warriors in the Western Conference, and several of the tough battles allowed Harden to gain a lot of fans.

For example, in the 2019 Christmas game, the whistle was really off-the-scenes at the Warriors' home court. In the end, Harden defeated the Warriors with a three-pointer and completed the reversal 135-134. In that game, Harden scored 44 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists, and made a total of 10 three-pointers. Personally, I think it’s really hard not to like Harden as long as you have watched this game. In that year, he played against the Warriors until the tiebreak. Whether it was not brave enough to go out of bounds or the league's lead, the Rockets were really on par with the Warriors, and Harden was also crucial.

And Alexander has no tough battles so far, at least you can't imagine the deep-seated scene, which is still very different from Harden.

2. The Rockets complex of Chinese fans

Yao Yao left an indelible memory for Chinese fans in the Rockets. At that time, this red home court could be said to be the home court of Chinese fans. Many people also watch Yaoyao, and the NBA can only be watched by the Rockets, and Yaoyao's ending is regrettable. Therefore, not only Harden's previous Rockets, but also many fans are paying attention to it now.

So after Harden took over the Rockets, a large number of fans still supported him, especially after seeing his performance, he felt that he could achieve the results that Yao Dayao did not complete in the Rockets.

Alexander does not have these foundations, and the Thunder in people's impression is probably still in the "Thunder Three Young Masters". As for Alexander, he only knows that he is very powerful, and under the influence of the media, he only knows that he has a lot of free throws, likes to make fouls when playing basketball, and does not have a deeper understanding of this player.

3.Janduku is still the top star

The most concerned three veterans in the league are now James, Curry and Durant. Next are Harden of the Clippers, Kat, and Westbrook of the Nuggets, Jokic, and Tatum... As for young players like Alexander, as long as the old players above do not retreat, the fans' eyes are always on them.

Although both the East and West Finals are young teams this year, the attention has been significantly reduced, and many people will go to see the results of the game and it will be done.

What do you think? Why is Alexander so rejected by fans now? Harden used to have more free throws, and he is not as one-sided as he is now.