This team already has the potential to bring every game down to the wire. The problem we're going to have is finishing. Harden has made a career out of disappearing when it matters most. What makes you think he'll suddenly change? No thanks.
Harden can opt out after the season. I doubt the price for him would be anywhere close to that high if they look dead by the trade deadline and he signals he plans to explore free agency and possibly opt out. That's true they have no incentive to tank but they should also be open to trying to improve their longer term situation if Harden will be gone anyways rather than going all in to make the play-in. I think any trade involving FVV is kind of a fantasy though unless/until he signals he's open to it since he could block any trade. Also, of course if we traded for Harden (which I think is fantasy because I doubt FVV would agree to it) it could be a pyrrhic victory if it ends up getting OKC a top 3 pick. For that reason alone I almost wouldn't go after Harden unless he's on the market and getting traded somewhere one way or another.
So has Alperen Sengun Honestly the Harden playoffs talk from the NBA commentariat is so overblown - having *only* 2-3 elite games in a given playoff series is hard. It sucks he only has 3-4 drag his team past the other moments, instead of 5 or 6, and that they were a hamstring and a Scott foster away, but I put a lot of that up to just randomness & chance rather than personal defects - unlike the serious basketball take havers, who seem to have Harden Derangement Syndrome.
I don't hate him, I just don't care about him anymore, like a normal fan of the Houston Rockets. You nut-hugging someone not on my team is what is weird and annoying AF.
