Could James Harden lead the Rockets to a Championship?

The Team is not good enough. When has one player with a crappy coach and crappy role players ever won the title?

 

This is true. OKC would have a couple of championships if Harden had not choked twice deep in the playoffs when he was with OKC.

 

<script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?playerBrandingId=4ef8000cbaf34c1687a7d9a26fe0e89e&adSetCode=91cDU6NuXTGKz3OdjOxFdAgJVtQcKJnI&pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=576&height=324&externalId=espn:15420722&thruParam_espn-ui[autoPlay]=false&thruParam_espn-ui[playRelatedExternally]=true"></script>



<script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?playerBrandingId=4ef8000cbaf34c1687a7d9a26fe0e89e&adSetCode=91cDU6NuXTGKz3OdjOxFdAgJVtQcKJnI&pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=576&height=324&externalId=espn:15420263&thruParam_espn-ui[autoPlay]=false&thruParam_espn-ui[playRelatedExternally]=true"></script>

T_Man

 

repped

 

I lean "no", but hope isn't lost.

He needs to mature, something that happens naturally... and get real coach.

Is there any precedent of a Number One's heart being questioned, then he/she stunted and won as lead dog?......... I don't recall any.

 

If we have 2 people who can defend okay while shooting lights out with an open look, then absolutely yes.

Missing open looks is not Harden's fault.

 

It easier to defend as a unit, when the rest of the players defend

You lose focus when one or two players do little or absolutely nothing on D.

The audience tend to consider defensive work as easy when it is really hard in reality.

 

Lights out shooting and okay defense need to be defined.

I agree with the premise (shooting-defense), but there really just needs to be more balance between the two. This year, Ariza shot 37% 3PT and Bev 40%. Those numbers are easily acceptable if they had played better defense.. but they didn't. Also, keep in mind those %'s are overall... not necessarily, "open looks".

 

It's funny that so many posters here disagreed with me when I said Harden wasn't a leader during last year's playoffs. I didn't want to be right, but I was. Welp.

 

they must be blind

 

I would trade Harden + Ariza for Paul George in a heartbeat. George is an all around player unlike Frauden

 

And if you have the same knuckleheads playing and coaching around Paul George the results would be identical.

 

They will play like their leader...

Pacers also have knuckleheads on their team...

T_Man

 

I don't see it. Harden needs the structure of a great head coach and I don't think this team will find a great head coach before Harden leaves to LA in free agency.

 

Not as an Alpha or Batman

Better chance as a Beta or Robin which he is at this point

 

Going to be fun to bump these threads when Harden finally gets the coach & supporting cast he deserves. Of course when he wins it'll be due to "maturation" rather than his critics being complete & utter morons.

 

That might very well happen but not in Houston. Harden is not loyal to this org. and if he does mature and win a ring it will probably be as a Laker.

Mark my words.

 

Yeah I've mentioned it before, but I have this nightmare where KD, Westbrook, and Harden all re-unite again on the Lakers.

And if I were Harden I wouldn't have loyalty to this org either.

Looking at things (too) simply, it was painfully obvious when we played the Thunder three years ago that he needed some help on this team; he needed better players. And after watching the Warriors series we see nothing has changed in those three years; he is still responsible for 90% of this team's offense and with him on the bench they crumble. So if this still holds for the next two years? Doesn't help our chances of keeping him.

So why should Harden believe that the org will suddenly "get it" and give him better support? It'll be too easy for him to go home and rejoin the teammates he wishes he never had to leave.

 

Rockets arnt winning a chip anytime soon..as long as they continue to compete and make the playoffs.. ill be happy..

 

Actually it would be worse