You must be using single player +/- which is a horrible metric to go by. Our best lineups are with Westbrook, not without him. The value of a player isn't always connected to their stats is why man. This is why young players can have higher value despite not having good numbers because a team acquiring them thinks they have the potential to do more. That's not it for CP3 anymore. He's 34 and is not getting any better and has an albatross contract that not many liked or wanted on the team before the season started. Westbrook has better value because you are paying him around the same amount of money but he's still athletically in his prime. Meanwhile, OKC can't even get rid of CP3.
He is a good player. On balance, he makes us better. But he's not getting any better and he is owed 38, 41, 44, and 47 million over the next 4 seasons. Yikes.
100% Russ. The guy plays hard and goes to the basket, just recently his layups aren't going in because he plays too damn fast. Some of us in here still think CP3 is better
I never thought that the Rockets could win the championship with Westbrook. I never thought the Rockets could win a championship with Paul this season. But, I thought that this season would be a hell of a lot more interesting with Westbrook than it would’ve been with Paul.
Never loved him. Always thought it was a bad move. And, in my mind, the only real argument in favor of the trade was if things between Harden and CP3 had become so untenable as to make Harden want to leave if you keep him; then trade for Westbrook. Andy I'll say Westbrook might be the best of the players we could have gotten for him. I think John Wall, Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin are the only other guys we could have possibly gotten for him. And then only because of their injuries/injury histories. I'll also add that I think in this three game losing streak coaches have found the answer to our team. Sag off Westbrook and double Harden. He may occasionally break free for a Harden lob but more often than not (a lot more often; peep the percentages) you can leave him open without fear.
That doubling stuff is not going to work every game though imo, Gordon is gonna come back and he's gonna be our second best scorer, and those guys wont be able to do this stuff, Im telling you. EG has become underrated around here. He is still that dude.
I honestly think we'll be fine and people know I'm not just super optimist guy. We are going through probably the toughest 4 game stretch we'll have all season. Dropped two against Denver and the Clippers, games that could have gone either way, and just lost a really bad game against the Mavs. We also have a lot of key injuries and guys just coming back. I know it sucks to be 11-6 right now and then get passed over by Dallas but their schedule has been a lot easier than ours have. It's really not that unusual to have a bad or average record against other good teams, as long as you feast on the bad teams (and we've done that, only bad loss was against Nets and they had Kyrie then) the team will be alright.
And I get where these guys are coming...or at least...my patience is a little thin right now. The Denver loss(who we ALWAYS beat) The Clippers lose where we looked like world beaters but STILL lost....and now this....I honestly get disgusted watching Luka and the Mavs beating us like that. I dont like Luka fans or Mavs fans. And I HATE the way the media frames it...Golden Boy Luka beats BAD MAN FOUL BAITER HARDEN....and most of these idiots dont even realize the play the same way.
Russell is not the problem. The bench is a huge tapping hole. Right now, we don't a reliable guy that can come in put 20 points. Harden and Russ can only do so much.
Two max players + Capela + vet min players simply don't work. And honestly Harden is a great scorer but not a great leader.
Others have suggested giving Ben's minutes to Clemons. I'm all for it. Ben had 2 points in a Harlem Globetrotters scoring type. Abysmal.