Feel free to leave out the other details of that trade, too... lol. Jeremy Lamb wasn't the prized asset of that deal for the Thunder even. They first and foremost were acquiring Kevin Martin. Mind you KMart was coming off a 23.5 ppg year and a 17.1 ppg year and on paper was a good fit between Russ and KD. In fact the Thunder were great that year, finishing first in Ortg, 4th in Drtg, with the 2nd best record in the league and a 13 game improvement over the prior year. They got KMart, Lamb, and another lotto pick. Also feel free to leave out the reason the trade happened anyway... because of a small market team and ownership that completely misjudged the nba salary cap... and then were unable to get the Wizards to move on Bradley Beal for Harden, so turned to the Rockets. But if you want to believe the Rockets turning KMart, Lamb (a 9th pick... which was got from Kyle Lowry), another lotto pick (that ended up being 12th, Steven Adams) is as impressive as turning George Hill into Kawhi Leonard... then go for it. Also, please point out where I said or propogated the Rockets had an incompetent front office??? If you think I'm implying that because I noted the Rockets passed on Kawhi Leonard for Marcus Morris, then that goes to what you think about that move. I just noted that move is checkmate for the Spurs.
The Rockets swapped Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and another pick (that became Steven Adams). It's still a steal for us, but it doesn't dissuade the point that the Spurs have built a stronger team than we have without the benefit of several lottery picks.
I respect your opinion, however, Boogie Cousins isn't a FA until after the next NBA season and I DOUBT New Orleans trades him. Secondly, I do think a HOU team with CP3 and Harden can take GS to 7 and I also believe Ryno, Harrell, Dekker, and either Lou or Ariza get moved to open up some cap ONLY if Les is willing to pay luxuary tax to build a championship team such as GS and CLE. I wouldn't mind a lineup of: CP3/BEV Harden/Lou Ariza/Gordon Ryno/Dekker Capela/Nene
a gut-punch loss, exhausted team ... these are just adjectives that don't mean much. If any team was more short handed, it was clearly the Spurs. And it's not a response to a gut-punch loss. in fact I'm not sure what gut-punch loss you're referring to... game 5, or game 6? But absolutely no one will care about this series much in retrospect, and absolutely the Spurs would have to do some cap maneuvering to afford CP3... I assume Pau is picking up his option? Can the Spurs trade him immediately once he does?? Fair enough... though to be completely transparent, it also means the Rockets have set themselves up to be "used" by free agents... which I'm not upset about or anything, I agree they should do this, I'm just pointing it out. I generally agree... though with the caveat... TREAD CAUTIOUSLY. Fit matters A LOT LOT LOT more than most think. And one certainly wouldn't expect the Rockets to sign CP3 and then try and move on from either him or Harden within the next 2 or even 3 years. They'll "keep at it", so to speak. And in this particular case, it's an EXTREMELY ODD fit. Granted, it seems like Hayward had absolutely no interest in the Rockets from the get go... but that'd clearly be a MUCH better fit to actually move the needle... not just purely as a actual fit next to Harden, but because it addresses a position of need and would allow the team to perhaps do some other creative things to improve (eg. move on from Ariza).[/quote][/QUOTE]
That's like saying Durant, Curry and Draymond all need the ball in their hands. It's just having two playmakers that can run the offense. Both know how to play off the ball. This is a non-issue.
Jokic has the potential to be the best center in the league next year. He's a legit two-way force. CP3 and Jokic is automatically a great core for the next 3 years. They have a bunch of young wings that are ready to make the jump - Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, Will Barton. It's really not a bad place to be.
That's a horrible comparison. Because Durant, Curry and Draymond don't all need the ball in their hands. Durant was a scoring machine in the Finals, and like Klay in his 60 point game earlier in the season, Durant did not actually have the ball in his hands that much.
How do Harden and Paul constantly need the ball to be effective? They can both spot up and run the PnR as corner players. Heck, we haven't seen it, but Harden might be a pretty effective roller if he has someone to get him the ball. He's a big dude and can probably set a good pick. You just need a little creative vision. Also, it's a great comparison. Durant, Curry and Green are all at their best with the ball in their hands and making plays for themselves or others. They all bring the ball up the court. That's why it's an amazing and fantastic comparison. Truly a beautiful one, but keep calling it horrible if it makes you feel more comfortable. Harden and Paul can be team players. That's not that far off.
Not exactly sure why CP3 would choose us over the Spurs, all else equal. What would each team need to give up to create the cap space?
I'm referring to Game 5. The truth of the matter, and we all know it, is that Game 5 was the series. It was there for the taking, the Rockets were one play away... and if they made it, there's not a doubt in my mind that they win the series. Unfortunately, they didn't, and props to San Antonio for digging deep and finding a way. They earned it. But it doesn't mean the series wasn't competitive, or that the teams weren't close. (And yes, when I refer to gut-punch loss, I'm referring to the recovery, or lack thereof, from what happened in Game 5. Annoying as a fan of the team? Absolutely. But the Rockets aren't close to the first team to lay an egg in that spot, and they won't be the last.) No doubt. That said, to compete at the highest level in this NBA, you can't not do that, and it does help to materially increase your chances with many of these guys in the future. [/QUOTE] I just don't see Hayward as an All-Star, Top-10 caliber player. I do with CP3. That's the difference. I agree there are risks, but I think that's partly what Morey was referring to earlier this week in his commentary to Zach Lowe. We're at a time in NBA history where you don't have much choice, if you want to give yourself any shot at all of competing with the Warriors.
Yes, to anyone who is capable of thinking beyond an apples to apples comparison could see how the Harden trade is equally as impressive. Even you had to lace your post full of qualifiers about how it arrived to that point. The Lowry pick, seeing that Martin was on the way down, forecasting that lamb wouldn't pan out, Morey's ability to leverage poor gms. These were not random occurances or coincidences. The Spurs got a guy who couldn't shoot in college and taught him how to shoot well. The Spurs have proven they can develop talent. They haven't proven that they can be successful players in free agency. How many titles have the Spurs won without a number one overall pick on their roster by the way? Hint: zero
Harden is also friend (and way more than with Paul i'd say) with Durant but that didn't mean much last summer. And with Love too but it seems like Love didn't like the idea of playing with Harden. I agree with who says that we have a bit of a chance since yeah, it's not like there're a lot of enviroments better than us out there, in fact i can only see two of them, the problem is that one of them is San Antonio. They're just a more solid/winning enviroment. And if Paul leaves the money in L.A. it's cause he desperately wants to win, and that would be easier in San Antonio...unfortunately.
First off, James Harden has shown no inclination to play off the ball. NONE. This is not disputable. Secondly, Paul may be able to play off the ball, but his primary value is his ability to run an offense. That means he needs the ball in his hands. Making him play off the ball would be a waste of resources. Despite what The Cat says, fit matters enormously. GS is a juggernaut because of how it's players complement and maximize each other's talents. A team with Harden and Paul would be dedicating half or more of its cap space to players with similar, non-complementary skills. That's a recipe for failure and disappointment. We saw the Rockets try it in the 2nd half of the 90s, and it ended in failure. We would see the same with Harden and Paul.
Their games can mesh but their personalities will not. Paul will demand too much of Harden and it'll cause a rift between them. Harden needs to mature before we make any run at a championship.
Jokic is no 2-way force, he's one of the worst defensive Centers in the league Denver was 29th in defensive efficiency, and he was a huge reason why
