Correct! Right now our best bet is to support Harden. To hope that he matures and realizes that he has been a jackass this season and brings it the next! If we trade Harden now we will not get anything of equal or better value for him, its just not happening. What we need to do is to get the team a real coach, and surround Harden's immature a$$ with as many talented but serious players we can get. Players that can assist him to be his best both on and off the court and that he respects. And If Howard does leave another superstar would be welcomed too....
You're right, best case scenario is Harden returns to form. But if he does return to MVP status, we aren't winning without Dwight. So not sure what the plan is there
I said yes on the other thread but only if there is a Lebron type or once in a generation type of player coming up in the draft. I'm no draft guru, but I'm assuming there aren't players like that in next year's draft. I highly doubt the Rockets would get back the amount of value that Harden has.
It boggles my mind how much pressure and hate is put on Harden an offensive player who is doing his job (not as good as last year mind you) when Dwight Howard is supposed the be the best defensive center in the league and he gets paid the 5th highest amount of money in the entire league and wants to be paid more. As a matter of fact he wants to be paid about 10 mil more than Harden who everyone puts all the blame on. He wants to be paid 13 mil more than Andrew Bogut who locks his ass down everytime they play. If he wanted a 13 million dollar salary the other 10 - 12 million could be used on non one dimensional role player. But no Howard is in decline looking for a pay raise and we're 28th in defense and 9th in the West. Harden may return to form next year but Howard will never be the dominate force he once was and we are putting the blame on Harden it's ridiculous. List of players paid less than Dwight Howard. 6 Chris Bosh, PF Miami Heat $22,192,730 7 Chris Paul, PG Los Angeles Clippers $21,468,695 8 Kevin Durant, SF Oklahoma City Thunder $20,158,622 9 Derrick Rose, PG Chicago Bulls $20,093,064 10 Dwyane Wade, SG Miami Heat $20,000,000 RK NAME TEAM SALARY 11 LaMarcus Aldridge, PF San Antonio Spurs $19,689,000 12 Kevin Love, PF Cleveland Cavaliers $19,689,000 13 Marc Gasol, C Memphis Grizzlies $19,688,000 14 Blake Griffin, PF Los Angeles Clippers $18,907,726 15 Paul Millsap, PF Atlanta Hawks $18,671,659 16 Paul George, SF Indiana Pacers $17,120,106 17 Russell Westbrook, PG Oklahoma City Thunder $16,744,218 18 Kyrie Irving, PG Cleveland Cavaliers $16,407,501 19 Kawhi Leonard, SF San Antonio Spurs $16,407,500 20 Enes Kanter, C Oklahoma City Thunder $16,407,500 RK NAME TEAM SALARY 21 Jimmy Butler, SG Chicago Bulls $16,407,500 22 Tobias Harris, SF Orlando Magic $16,000,000 23 John Wall, PG Washington Wizards $15,851,950 24 DeMarcus Cousins, C Sacramento Kings $15,851,950 25 James Harden, SG Houston Rockets $15,756,438 26 Roy Hibbert, C Los Angeles Lakers $15,592,217 27 Eric Gordon, SG New Orleans Pelicans $15,514,031 28 Klay Thompson, SG Golden State Warriors $15,501,000 Honorable mentions: Tim Duncan Draymond Green Harrison Barnes Kyle Lowry Jeff Teague Pau Gasol Andrew Bogut
Lmao people are ridiculous! He's putting up the same numbers as last year and playing the same way. It's just the guys surrounding him are not showing up every night and it's not leading to wins. If Rockets were doing well this season nobody would be talking about his style of play or that he can't be coached.
I'm so lost? What did we win with Dwight? Ok, WCF was a fantastic result - but it is plainly evident that if you double down on Harden nobody else on the team can influence the result. Harden is pretty well playing the same ball as last season, but because our record is worse (due in the main to role players not hitting the wide open looks they are getting...) we rag on Harden for 'not trying' (miraculously he should generate a bucket every possession for the team or he sux apparently). Dwight is fading (fast), but perhaps the bigger problem is that Jones and Lawons turned up as shadows of their former selves. We can keep Dwight, no problem, but he is NOT worth 30 million - if he takes more than 20 he will prevent us from chasing a 'difference maker'. Dwight is a glorified Capela at this stage of his career. If he turned around and said 'I'll take $15mill' then keep him. But we are not winning a single thing with him at double that. Harden will play superb basketball again next season, the question is do we want bench guys starting next to him again and hope that Dwight can do all the extra work (he can't), or do we get something in exchange for him and move on. We would spend another 20 years trying to get another Harden... you give him the chance to win for sure.
You think he will be for 5 more years as opposed to chasing someone else as a max free agent? Dwight is useful for THIS year, and probably not again. Capela has a ways to go, but his defensive output isn't far off Dwight's so far this year. And he doesn't demand it in the post. Give him 18 months and he'll be superior to the player Dwight is at that stage (and paid $30 mill less) But Dwight isn't the issue here - the thread is Harden related and I think we agree, of COURSE we keep him! But get him more help (I won't cry if Dwight stays but we improve all the role players by a few degrees of usefulness!)
Well I think Dwight probably has 3 more years. He just turned 30. So I think around 33 we'll start to see a real decline
I don't mind if Dwight stays but demanding a pay raise is insane. My overall point is Dwight is never held accountable on Clutchfans it's always Harden that's why I defend him. It makes no sense Dwight should be the best player on our team and he should be the leader but he's not mature enough. He's 30 and gets paid by far the most and has been in the league 10 years and wants a pay raise but he's not a leader and he's declining yet people want to get rid of Harden.. nuts.
Demanding a pay rise is insane? Lmao why? So he should turn down more money the market will give him? And your argument about salaries is bogus. Salaries in the nba are capped depending on experience. Rookie contracts and extensions are cheap. Dwight isnt on his rookie extension. He paid his dues. In two years harden will get too his big payrise and cost about 35 per ( i think). Meanwhile in two years KAT will still be paid 5 per.
After you typed this letter your whole post went downhill from there. Nothing you said actually refuted what I said but you still conclude what I said is "bogus" without actually saying anything relevant at all.
You compared Bogut's and Dwight's salary and asked why the highest paid player isn't the best of the team. Comparing salaries signed at completely different caps and at different vet slots is bogus. If you find Dwight overpaid that's fine. No reason why he won't ask for his 30 per and leave.
