Harden is in is absolute prime, if you're going to buy low on a guy that could elevate you in the short term, this may be it. It has to be at the right price and if I were Morey, I'd like to have a new contract agreement in place before pulling the trigger.
If that was the case, Harden would have some idea about the truth of it and would be able to advise Morey on it. I ran track in college and we had foreign athletes with age discrepancies like this and we all had a pretty good idea of the reality of the situation regardless of what the official papers said.
That is because you thought too highly of him. He was never an allstar, could have been with better stats but in all just a really good role player with good numbers. So his rebounding numbers have taken a dive. Perhaps he is a competitor and he needs a more competitive environment than Orlando and the Magic and the weaker East.
I can accept the argument that he would be a value add to this team, I cannot accept that it makes sense to pay a premium to rent him for 33 extra games rather than just keep your trade assets and just sign him in free agency.
I wouldn't give up Capela for anything less than a prime star, personally. He's smart, he's a great team player, and he's always working on his weaknesses. Recently he's even been developing a touch 3-6 feet from the rim! Harrell I'm not so attached to.
Well, he kinda asked for a situation similar to his current one, more shots and a different role than what he had in OKC, that's another reason why they probably wanted to trade him...if he wants more shots he should probably play in a mediocre team because no contender will give him the ball like some sort of go to guy.
what is the price for a rental of ibaka right now? Can't be very high. would be a great stretch 5 in our system. gives capela some breather minutes to keep him fresh and efficient.
Ibaka would start, and Capela would return to the bench where he belongs. What it does allow you to do is play them both at the same time, which can be crucial in the 4th Q of the playoffs when you need to ramp up the defense. On 2nd thought, Capela might still start as that's often his best Q when matched with Harden from the tip off. But, Ibaka would get significantly more minutes as PF/C.
I'm all for it! Aside from the rumors that he's much older than what everyone thinks, he adds rim protection, good floor spacing, and would slide to the 5 and make us much better when we go without Clint. I really don't see a negative. I'd bet anything we're one of his top destinations too. It's all about numbers, if our value is close to his, I seriously could see this happening.. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L5ZYKN5Ctew" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I wonder what Harden thinks about Ibaka. Would love to see how lineups did in OKC with Harden/Ibaka sharing the floor.
"they do X all the time" is a tough argument to get behind when Anderson/Nene playing together gives the team its 3rd lowest defensive rating of all available combinations played this year. the only thing lower? Dekkar/Nene at the 4/5.
Ibaka plays above the rim and averages more blocks per game than Clint. He's also been known as one the best defensive players in the league, I'm pretty sure he's been named to the all-defensive team 3x. You could argue the defense would get better with Anderson/Ibaka than it is with Anderson/Clint. Nene just isn't a rim protector anymore.
Nene isn't really a rim protector. He's just a bigger body to throw at all the larger centers that are a bad match up for Capella that just overpower him. But regardless Nene has been a huge pick up for houston especially playing for what he was signed for by far
The reason I think he may actually be older than his age (besides looks) is because of how great we was in the NBA at "22-24" and how much he has steadily declined rather than improved. He was averaging 3.7 blocks per game vs his 1.6 this season in 3.1 less mpg. Sure, he is a better 3 pt shooter, but he is definitely on the decline.
I don't see a huge market for Ibaka. Wherever Orlando sends him, they will get pennies on the dollar for the rental of an unrestricted free agent.
I agree about age discrepancy and concerns. But I also think, in part, the reason his blocks have decreased is the evolution of the NBA. Just like he's extended his range to the 3 point line so has his opponents that he guards. He was always so great at weakside shot blocking and he just doesn't get that many weakside opportunities as much anymore.
