It is not all that difficult to believe. When you look at things in hindsight then yeah it is, but when you consider things at the moment in time then it really isn't. That was up to this date, one of his (Martin's) best years in his career. Obviously we weren't right, but it wasn't some stupid opinion. It's not like Harden was the only guy that Morey could have got at the time because you have to realize there were OTHER superstars that many of us wanted our assets to go towards. Just like the people that did not want to trade D-mo/Lamb/ ect for Howard. You have to consider that at the time he was coming off a back surgery ANNND that he wasn't guaranteed to resign here (he was still in Orlando) and many of us did not want to trade away our future and then watch Dwight go run off somewhere else...and many of us that did not want to do that trade were right. Whose to say we get Harden if we got Dwight first? So in hindsight that looks dumb but when you consider the circumstances at the time then no, it wasn't at all.
Not exactly. At the time we were going after free agents that were considered established superstars so he would have to be a batman at that time. I saw superstar potential (he was a top five pick) and figured he could at least pour in 20 ppg if given the minutes because he was always a pure scorer. He also got to the rim with ease and had above average passing ability. Kmart was and is terrible as your first or second option. If you think different then maybe you're a Kmart fan. Just admit you were wrong with your evaluation and being able to assess potential. It's okay dude.
Man, when I first heard we got Harden, I knew we were getting someone special. Of course, I wasn't ready to crown him a true franchise player and superstar just yet but I just knew the fortunes of the Rockets would change that day. His first two games totally made me feel we got a superstar in the making. Everyone remembers his numbers against the Pistons and Hawks, but it wasn't like they were easy victories. In both games we had to come back from double digit deficits and Harden showed the ability to turn it on in both games during late stretches. Just an indicator of how he can turn up the output in late games. That's what separates Harden from so many other players. Even in his OKC days, he displayed those talents. That ability is what makes superstars a limited quantity in the NBA. Martin certainly never showed that ability and if anything shied away from the spotlight. So to think that we got Harden out of Martin and some great, but not amazing, draft picks is insane to me. If anything, I wonder if OKC regrets not trading Harden for Beal or even Thompson like rumors suggested.
For that year, that is just untrue. If you think that then you may as well say Morey was wrong as well...since he acquired Kmart to go along with Yao as a 2nd option in the first place. I already admitted I was wrong on this AT THE TIME. But admit I'm wrong on potential? Whatever. I was one of the only ones telling people here that Drummond was going to be a good player while many were thinking he'd be a big bust just for example.. .More people seemed to put Royce White higher than Drummond around here even before the draft. He had his own thread in the draft secion and I was never high on that guy....Just because I got one wrong at the time doesn't mean much. Funnier thing is I was actually right about Harden's defense at the time when people were applauding him for it (for some reason) and I didn't even trash Harden then. I just said that he was inconsistent and I didn't see much reason to give up anything for him AND on top of that didn't think the Thunder would trade him in the first place.
Back then Harden was averaging 12 points a game and Martin was averaging 23.5. I don't think that many people loved Martin, they just thought Harden was less than he turned out to be.
Of course they were wrong. Just because you follow the conventional wisdom, that doesn't make your decisions good.
I thought it would cost us a whole lot and never gave acquiring Harden a chance. I figured he was untouchable. The OP is actually one of my friends. I just found out today. Small world
Pretty much. It was the right decision. People act like Portland was the only team that would have done that or if Oden was a bad pick AT THE TIME. That's just not true. The dude was compared to Bill Russell...and was known as a basketball prodigy...and was a center. He was always going first. Using hindsight doesn't really help much, Should the Rockets have drafted Jordan over Hakeem?
I disagree. I can understand being worried about how the trade would work out, but Harden was already one of the best P&R guards and iso scorers in the league. People thought he was just the third banana in OKC, but their offense was just iso garbage and he never really benefited a whole lot from playing next to Durant/Westbrook. Comparing him to Ariza who can only play good offense in a contract year was pretty unfair.
I didn't compare him to Ariza. I said you don't want to overpay for him like you do for Ariza, and a lot of the comments about Harden have ALWAYS been that. Even when he got his money here people were saying he'd just be Joe Johnson and that he's not really a max contract guy...how many times did we hear this when the Rockets got Harden?
Quite your whining and accept the ass jamming. No one seriously thinks they're good at this stuff, that's why when it comes to GM decisions, Morey>any poster. It's just funny to pile one when you look dumb years later.
Nah, I'm not into that. Nothing against anyone that is though...besides, even Morey looks dumb if you use hindsight.
