I beg to differ. A couple of points: 1.) Superstars are nearly impossible to get. Our best chance at one is next free agency with Howard or Paul. Having Harden already on board gives us a better chance. 2.) Harden might just be one. We have no idea what he will be as a 1st option, but the guy is 23 years old and we have control over him for 5+ years. 3.) I personally don't think he is one, but this opens the door to move the rest of our young assets for guys like Smith or Aldridge who might be available at the deadline, while still having room in the offseason for a max guy. Hypothetically, suppose we move Livingston, Delfino, Aldridge, Jones and remove pick protection to Atlanta for Josh Smith at the deadline. Then follow up with signing Bynum in free agency. I'd be onboard with a Lin/Harden/Parsons/Smith/Bynum core.
http://wagesofwins.com/2012/10/27/the-thunders-epic-failure/ +14 wins? Excited to see if the season pans out that way.
I am also baffled by the pessimissm on this message board. The rockets have a very talented, young roster. The starting backcourt is as good as any in the assoc. And the rocks still have plenty of cap space to sign another tier 1 max salary player. This team will be competitive and fun to watch at the very least for many years, and have the leverage and cap space to sign a franchise caliber player. The rocks, objectively speaking, are in a fantastic situation.
Do you REALLY think that McHale did not want this trade to happen? I think the guy just likes to play things down in interviews, but inside he's happy about this. He got a young all-star with finals experience for the next few years, a player he can run half of their plays through, and another backup center to give him some more depth at the Center spot. McHale isn't the patient type of person that wants to wait and nurture someone like Jeremy Lamb through his rookie season of the NBA in the hope that maybe he can become someone LIKE Harden in a few seasons. He also has been a GM for a number of years, and realized what was going to happen with the K-Mart situation eventually this year. He wanted someone like Harden more than you can imagine, and I can guarantee you he is as happy as he has been since he came to Houston right now.
Mchale speaks on Harden and also tells Marc Berman to stay in his lane LOL http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/2012/10/28/ZOOM0008MOV-2263030
The numbers all say Harden can become a superstar player. To me it's all about his mentality and how he will attack the game, so we'll see.
Soooo much better than a 1 year rental for a guy that didn't want to be here for most of our assets.... Our first true closer since TMac It isn't all on Lin now...(Thank God)
The Rockets just became more competitive, relevant, profitable, entertaining, and more attractive to free agents. That's why.
Anyone who claims the rockets should have waited to draft a sure thing is r****ded. You might want to do some research before spewing crap. Playing the draft game is risky business. Harden is possibly a superstar, taking that chance on a 23 year old is a good bet to make, especially when you have stats that favor him. Now statistics don't always tell the whole story so its also possible Harden might turn out to be a bust. If so, then you've got to take your chance in the draft. But being forced into it is a much better option than making it into a strategy.
We never had the players to tank. With our roster before the trade, we would have ended up with another 14th pick. Now we got the player we would wave been lucky to get if we had tanked. We basically accelerated our path to competing. Got the player we needed to get without tanking for a full season. Now we will add another max player and we will be ready to compete for a title. Also have promising talent in Terrence Jones, Royce White and Dmo etc.
u want to buy sumthin....1. save yo $$$ 2. wait fer it to b on sale Daryle "Money" Moray haz been stackin bills deep.......told amare to keep walkin.....and then
Hell of a haul for Oklahoma City. Necessary gamble for Houston. In the NBA, a lot of good rarely adds up to a little great. Harden isn't a sure thing but of the players/assets involved, James is by far and away the best bet for greatness. Additionally, there is an added benefit by how well liked James seems to be. He dances in a very powerful circle, and by all accounts he seems to be very well liked by the game's elite players. We've all heard of how nobody wants to play in Houston. Harden helps. Which is great, considering we can still offer a max contract. It remains to be seen who the "winner" of this trade was, but for now, I think both teams took a positive step.
+1 Rockets were going to be decent this year, possibly even good, even without Harden. Asik and Lin are non-flashy guys who just get the job done at the most important positions on the court. Lin has a massive positive impact on both offense and defense, the latter of which is incredibly underrated.
