Has anybody checked out James Harden's Similarity Scores on his Basketball Reference page

You're forgetting the NBA landscape at the time. The Lakers had just acquired Dwight Howard. On paper, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol were a formidable pair. If the Thunder hoped to compete with that, why would they amnesty Perkins?

 

I think winning a single title would put him on par with Wade (who has 3 titles, one of which he led). But 1 title alone isn't enough to leapfrog Durant, and he'd need a lot more than that to surpass Curry.

 

It's the psychological vantage point. (Constant fear of losing a star over nothing)

GMs are under pressure, it's not all pure assets management as Morey always used to say.

I think it is much easier for fans like you and me to talk about it nonchalantly, over a beer or coffee.

 

Harden needs at least two titles to take the #2 SG spot.

 

True, true. But I see Chris Paul’s name all across those lists. He’s an all-time great.

 

They amnesty a scrub like Perkins to keep Harden. They can try to acquire some other lumbering, slow footed big at another time. Simple

 

At the time, Perkins was a plus defender.

 

Yes it is. KD’s titles with stacked GS have very little significance. Before KD joined GS, his efficiency dropped by 4.5%, an even bigger decrease than Harden’s 4.2%.

A lot more? Lol, no. If Harden’s leads a team to a title while averaging huge numbers and winning FMVP, it will be impressive than anything Curry has done.

 

So what? He was still a scrub. At the time, Harden was a borderline top 20 player and the most efficient guard in the NBA. The minute he touched down in Houston, he immediately showed he was actually more like borderline top 10 caliber.

 

You're in the extreme minority. A resume of an MVP, 2 titles, and 2 FMVP trumps an MVP, 1 title, and 1 FMVP.

Curry has more MVP's than Harden, more titles, had one of the greatest offensive seasons of all time, led the best regular season team ever, and has the distinction of being the greatest shooter of all time.

Further, star free agents WANT to play with Curry while Harden has feuded with both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

Harden needs a lot more than 1 title and FMVP to surpass Curry.

 

That's the thing. He wasn't a scrub. He was a legitimate defensive big, and the Lakers just put together a frontcourt of Gasol/Howard.

Logically, if OKC wanted to compete against that, they'd need a defensive big alongside Ibaka.

You're looking at things with 20/20 hindsight and failing to consider the NBA landscape at the time.

 

That would’ve been way down the line. Harden’s contract with OKC would’ve ended up being way below market value at only 15 mil/yr for 4 years. He was seeking 4/60. OKC would only do 4/55. The difference was nothing. How many championships could they have won during that time span? At least one for sure.

 

extreme minority according to u

it’s more impressive if u ignore all context...u can wish to do so, I won’t

disagree

 

No, he definitely was a scrub. That logic is what made them make 1 of the dumbest moves ever.

I’m not looking at things with any hindsight. I was shocked when they actually traded Harden.

trying to justify that trade is hilarious

 

There isn’t an eye roll gif available on the internet that adequately relates how dumb this notion was and still is.

 

Harden was going to be an RFA
and
Perkins ain't a star

 

You're simply wrong about Perkins. At the time, he was a plus defender, and the Lakers had just acquired Dwight Howard. How do you think OKC could've handled that frontcourt with only Ibaka?

History has a way of ignoring context. History doesn't care that Isiah Thomas' first title came against a Laker team that lost Byron Scott and Magic Johnson. History doesn't care that Wade's first title came when they were playing 8v5. And history doesn't care the the Raptors won a title against an injury ravaged Warriors team. History remembers the Pistons, Heat, and Raptors as champions.

 

Dumb.....and true.

 

He means that if Harden received a high offer from another team, OKC wouldn't have matched, and they would've lost him for nothing.

 

No, the one who is wrong is u. Please stop these sad attempts at trying to convince me Perkins was worth losing Harden, it will never work.

Like I said, u can ignore context. I won’t.