Last season, a season culminating in a WCF appearance, Harden was a close 2nd in MVP voting-- and FIRST in the PLAYERS' vote. Perceptions change, but is the man toxic? I'm not ready to buy that.
Don't believe you Jopat. Especially because Smith has talked about his agent convincing him that the Clipper situation would help him earn more money down the line. If a player gets that candid and specific about why he left it's hard to believe he just made it up. I don't know if you have ZERO sources, but nobody believes you just the ability to check with coaches, players and get TWO sources anytime you want to confirm stuff. I'm still waiting for the Grizzlies to trick Randolph into optiing out so they can get rid of him..errr.... I think Harden has some obvious leadership issues, but Jason Terry loves the guy and even Dwight has said they get along really well personally. The issue between Dwight and Harden stems entirely from Dwight not wanting to be a Tyson Chandler big man.
Im still waiting on the story to drop about why Jones got the starting nod two years ago over Donatas. I thought a big story was about to come out? Jopat has so much wasted knowledge of the NBA/Cap rules/etc. that get thrown out the window by trying to prove himself as an insider for his ego. Nobody cares... everyone knows someone nowadays so it doesn't make you better than everyone else. Sad. Reg Dwight... the Issues keep on coming back on the shoulders of the big guy himself who has to look at himself in the mirror eventually with the blame game. Yes SVG might have not let him post up enough. Yes, Kobe was a meany pants to Dwight, and didn't embrace his inner child. Yes Harden didn't post of Dwight enough. However yet again its Dwight admitting yesterday public that AGAIN he went to management during the season to get his way (wanting to be a post up Hakeem type of big), and pouting when he didn't get his way. This is what... his 3rd team with the exact same issue leading to a fracture in him ultimately leaving or getting traded??? The Dwight issue has one common denominator in every situation he's been in. He wants to be a post up big with Hakeem moves, and his teammates, his coaches, and his mgmt/owners want him to run the P&R hard, set screens, crash the boards etc. All of the "other drama" is just that.... this Josh Smith rumor is baseless even if it is true about Harden because at the end of the day it doesn't matter. James could have been the best leader of all time on Battier level good citizen, but if Dwight was going to be this way AGAIN that chemistry between our superstars was never going to succeed. Harden will have his chance now to show the world that it wasn't him once Dwight leaves. We'll see how he does, but the reputation of Harden, while not perfect, isn't going to stop any role players from taking a look at Houston. I think like all of us should too, players around the league will give James a pass because of Dwight. In a year or two if he doesn't prove himself to be a better leader than either he's going to not be a leader anymore (relegated to secondary - former star) by default, or he's going to grow up and improve with his relationships with other players. Frankly I'm worried very little about Harden's leadership problems affecting what might or (likely) will not happen regardless in free agency.
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Source of a source of a sauce: Morey wants Harden to be GM. Les wants Steve Nash to come out of retirement. More sauces coming.
Here's a first-hand legit source for you regarding Smith: ME In Portland this year, after his return to the Rox, I asked Josh why he left for the Clippers. "Not my decision," he responded, which made me think he was referring to the Rockets needing to sign KJ before they could sign Josh, then dragging their feet on that as the FA market started to dry up. Topfive's_gf, a HUGE Josh fan, said, "Don't ever leave us again." Josh's reply: "I love it here. I won't leave if it's up to me." So I don't know Josh personally and he had no reason necessarily to be forthcoming with more info, or even to tell me the truth at all. Still, he seemed sincere and never said a word about Harden or other players being the reason he left. He did say he loves playing for the team, which obviously included Harden at the time. Side note: I also spoke to Morey at that game (we have a friend in common who set up the introduction). His first words to me, after the team was trailing after a horrendous 2nd quarter: "Sorry we're playing like **** right now." <BR>
topfive = cyber = woj Ask yourself, have you ever seen topfive, cyber and the woj in the same room at the same time? Answer: no!
This too is Dwights fault. Hot in Houston? Dwights fault. Astros suck? Dwights fault. fat boy Harden gets a free pass duh.
If you have paid ANY attention to this forum, Harden gets no free passes. This isn't an either/or blame game. Both players are incredibly flawed.
You can consider someone great at something, yet still not want to be around them. That was the point he was trying to make...that free agents might not want to come here and that this is coming from other players. I think it is a point worth listening to. Dude doesn't sound like he's pulling a Broussard here, just protecting a friend so as to not betray his confidence in telling him things. You can believe him or not...but it sounds pretty plausible to me.
Meh....I've seen lots of "Plausible" stuff around here somehow end up being BS of the highest order. In the meantime, even if its true....who's to say his opinion represents the majority of players or even a sizeable minority? Maybe this player simply doesn't like Harden personally and talks a lot of trash for that reason. Who knows? I find it INCREDIBLY hard to believe players won't come to Houston merely because they have heard from some other NBA scrub that they didn't like him. I imagine Matt Barnes doesn't have much good to say about Derek Fisher either. Shocking!!!!!
In other news, water is wet. Anyone fan can figure certain things out without needing "sauces", one of which is that players aren't eager to play with a guy taking 20+ shots a game unless 1. you overpay them, 2. the team is a heavy favorite to compete for a championship, or 3. the team is located in a popular city, such as LA or Miami.
