Remember when we didn't care about our first round draft picks?

Same people that don't like Harden at all after he demanded to leave. If he came back he should get community service hours for it. This organization is an absolute atrocity at the moment. Harden would be the most competent basketball mind by a country mile the minute he steps foot in the building.

 

But Harden played for two different coaches (McHale and D'Antoni) and with 3 different superstar pairings (Howard, Paul, and Westbrook) and still failed to get it done.

I'm not knocking Harden's talent, but I strongly believe that he can't win a championship when he's the best player on the team. You need to pair him with someone who is better than him and is more mature as a leader. What player of that stature would want to leave their current situation to come play with Harden in Houston?

 

Ping pong balls and no real balls.

 

I should've elaborated more...

If we don't land Wemby, do we parlay our high draft pick for an established player? I'm really on the fence about picking anyone other than Wemby! We have a lot of teenagers already!! Time too start getting players that wear "Big Boy" pants to lead the young'uns!!

Go Rockets!!!
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I don't mind him if he goes into coaching or upper management but he has to hold people accountable esp when they visit establishments with barely clad women.

 

"I'm not knocking Harden's talent, but I strongly believe that he can't win a championship when he's the best player on the team."

This is some weird a$$ reasoning to not want harden back. Aside from almost beating the greatest team ever to exist with harden as the best man.

We haven't won a ring since 1995 yet we have folks afraid that signing a great player that fills a position of need is a big nono.

I would rather get excited watching the Rockets b competitive than suffer another few years watching us not properly develop our youngsters due to incompetence.

 

All this just to lose in the first round

 

Who has won a championships without drafting a superstar (or being in a destination city)?

I can only think of one recently that wasn't in a destination city and didn't draft a star.

I'm ok with the tank to get to the ultimate goal but what I've learned is that no organization or fanbase has the ability to see it through. The formula is simple but no one has done it fully and probably no one ever will. Knowing that last point, it's worth it to hold onto a solid playoff team for as long as possible.

 

I find folks that want Harden back weird considering we've seen him fail to deliver in the playoffs. Y'all should know what to expect from the James Harden experience by now. A good regular season, followed by a disappointing early exit in the playoffs. The best thing Harden did for the Rockets was forcing his way out so we could get those Brooklyn Nets picks. Stone and Fertitta's job is to find the next NBA superstars, not continue to chase after fool's gold with Harden.

 

I guess i should be clearer, we already have 7 FRPs developing and 8 if you count KPJ, we will have 9 with our first pick in this year's draft....THAT IS ENOUGH....you don't have time to develop anymore players.

So for me, I would draft our first pick and then take the Clippers pick, probably around 20 and see if Chicago wants to get rid of Lonzo Ball, and take a flyer that he gets healthy.

Most lower level FRPs bust out of the league.....we need to bring in NBA players now.

DD

 

You can quite literally say that for ANY superstar until they do win a ring. For example, people said the same thing about Curry and Norwitzki until they finally won. At the same time, I do not consider both Dwight and Brodie superstars. Both of them were far past their prime and while CP3 was also far past his prime, he had both a game that aged well and was still productive. This led to not only one of the best seasons in Rockets history, but the most competitive round in that season's playoffs. I do believe Harden can lead a team to a championship. Whether that happens with him as our best player or him recruiting another superstar to join him as the lead scorer, who knows?

 

Pick 2? Shirley seems like Scoot II is a must.

Pick 3-5? Yeppers, turn it in for the SOLID vet needing new environs.

 

At the same time, Harden STILL does charity work in Houston. People should never let personal feelings get in the way of success.

 

Except that was before Curry even hit his prime, whereas Harden's prime is over.

 

Still remember his influence to get Westbrick on this team and we had to get rid of CP3 and a 1st rounder...

 

Curry was in his 6th year and was 26 years old; he was definitely in his prime. Also, the point is it's more about the situation than it is about Harden's talent. Norwitzki is a great example of this. Besides, Harden is in his prime as a playmaker currently.

 

Let's not pretend that the fanbase was not all up in arms about getting rid of CP3 as well after his season following his injury. We may not have wanted WB, but most of y'all wanted CP3 and his "untradeable" contract gone. Also, don't forget that Westbrook was actually doing pretty great until he came back from COVID and started shooting 3's again. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

only idiots wanted cp3 gone. its the dumb part of the fanbase that wanted him gone. has nothing to do with hindsight. Dumb iq folks like Tilman are in the same boat he is with his lack of understanding of the game of basketball

westbrick sucked from day 1 and still does

the smart folks didn't need hindsight to know westbrick was a disaster from day 1. It was literally common sense

 

I'll take that over being the Sacramento Kings since 2006. 16 straight years of not even sniffing the playoffs, many of those years with high draft picks. At least Harden gives us a chance to attract solid veterans and be playoff competitive so by the time his contract runs out our core of Green/Smith/Sengun and whoever else we pick will be entering their prime.

Only a LeBron type of talent gives you the chance to win it all, anything else is about enjoying the game. 16 years of sucking is just not how I want to spend the next 16 years of my life.

 

Bringing back Harden is a no brainer.

Literally requires zero thought whatsoever.

There is no reasonable argument against it, considering alternatives.