Harden is 23. I think he's the youngest player in our starting line-up. That's building a strong future.
Martin was the most experienced player on the team and the only guy that has played consistent starter minutes. Harden is now another guy on this team that is going to have to adjust to playing heavy minutes for the first time. I think we are better with harden but Kmart brought something to the team that nobody else did.
Nah. I disagree. Martin was primed for a career year, and hes a veteran. If Harden is better, he's only slightly better at this point. His impact at most is 1-2 more wins. I expect him to eventually be a perennial allstar but we're still a lotto team this year. We're set up nicely going forward though. Just my opinion.
So are the Knicks,Lakers, and OKC games going to be more hype this year than usual? Knicks cause of Lin. Lakers cause of Artest/Harden hit. OKC cause of Harden. MAnn its gunna be a fun year. anyone else feel like Houston is a team of misfits who dont get credit for what they do?
McHale's backcourt rotation should start and finish with both Lin and Harden on the floor, with at least one of the two players on the floor during the entire game. If one player is on the bench, the other should be on the floor. The Rockets would then have an attack-the-basket threat for the entire 48 minutes. The scary part late in games, who should get the ball with the game on the line....... Lin is one of the best finishers in the game, but Harden had some big moments in the post season, especially prior to the Finals.
I'm really on the fence with this move. I like Harden and what he brings competitively, but is he a star to build around given that he will get a max-contract? That's where I'm conflicted. It just seems this was a desperation move by Morey, but I'm trying to not offer complete judgement yet. We gave up alot, although I understand why. K-Mart likely wouldn't have netted us much in the way of talent and future flexibility at the trading deadline. Harden HAS to take his game to another level for this to be a major win for us.
That's sorta sad and actually a bit of a bad sign that he didn't have even a small group of fans who will miss him or his potential (3 years out of the draft - can you still point to potential after that long?). Must be a rather unremarkable dude both on and off the court. Here, if you cut Forbes or even JJJ, someone would comment about the lost potential and lament their departure.
ok so its stupid I keep hearing how harden couldn't accept a 6 million difference -- but its not a 6 million dollar difference its 6 million only if its over a 4 year deal but the rockets are going to offer him a 5 year max deal which OKC cannot do because of the new CBA rules (they already used that deal on westbrook) so basically harden was able to get to be "the man" and get an additional guaranteed year and an additional 20 something million dollars. yeah the talk of sacrifice ends when its THAT much money left on the table.
Also, given that Oklahoma has a state income tax and Texas does not, that probably makes it quite a bit more than a 6 million dollar difference.
Well Clutch won't let me make a thread so here: http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/10/28/spurs-surprised-by-harden-trade/ The last time San Antonio saw James Harden up close, he was knocking down step-back 3-pointers, bullying his way to the rim and generally ruining any thought the Spurs had of holding off Oklahoma City in last season’s Western Conference finals. The next time the Spurs see Harden, he will be wearing a Houston Rockets uniform. News that the Thunder had agreed to trade the famously bearded NBA Sixth Man of the Year — five days before the start of the season, no less — has raised eyebrows across the league, none higher than in San Antonio. “I was a little bit surprised,” Spurs point guard Tony Parker said Sunday. “Obviously, they had a great thing going, but that’s the tough business of the NBA.” To be clear, the Spurs were not popping champagne corks at the prospect of Harden’s departure from Oklahoma City. Last anyone checked, the Thunder still sport NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook and remain a formidable obstacle to all comers in the West. At the same time, the Spurs might be glad to never have to see Harden in OKC colors again. When the Spurs think of Harden, a second-unit matchup nightmare a la Manu Ginobili, they recall several key baskets from June’s conference final. None were as heartbreaking as Harden’s step-back 3-point dagger to seal Oklahoma City’s pivotal Game 5 victory. The 23-year-old guard averaged 18.5 points in the series, surpassing his regular-season average by almost two points. It is not a stretch to surmise that without Harden, the Spurs — and not OKC — would have advanced to meet Miami in the NBA Finals. “It’s kind of weird to look at OKC and think of them without their Big Three,” Spurs guard Danny Green said. “Things are different. Obviously they’re still going to be a good team.” The decision to trade Harden was driven both by dollars and future roster flexibility. The Thunder could not award Harden the maximum contract extension he sought without incurring a hefty luxury tax hit. There’s little doubt that general manager Sam Presti’s call to ship Harden to Houston — in a package that brought back veteran guard Kevin Martin, rookie guard Jeremy Lamb and draft picks — will have an immediate impact on the West landscape. How big an impact remains to be seen. The Spurs won’t have to wait long to measure themselves against their latest revamped rival. Oklahoma City opens its season Thursday at the AT&T Center. It will be the second game of the season for the Spurs, who tip off the night before in New Orleans. “Tough to say,” Parker said, when asked to predict the trade’s ultimate effect on OKC. “Those two guys they got are very talented, but it’s all about chemistry and how it’s going to fit.” For much of the past decade, chemistry rarely has been a question in San Antonio. In making the tough call to dismantle the three-pronged core of last year’s West champion, Presti consummated the type of foundation-shaking swap his former boss in San Antonio, R.C. Buford, never had to. As a result, Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan are prepared to begin their 11th season together, making them the longest-running trio in the NBA. The specialness of that bond is not lost on Parker, who in November 2010 accepted a four-year, $50 million extension deemed below market value to remain with the Spurs. “I don’t need the trade to know that,” Parker said. “Every day, I feel very blessed. I feel very lucky to be with the same team and the same coach (Gregg Popovich). The run we’ve had with Timmy and Manu is just unbelievable. It’s almost impossible in professional sport.” Green witnessed the sort-of magical ESP between the Spurs’ triad of stars in one of his first practices with the team two seasons ago. “I was a sponge, just watching Manu and Tony and Timmy and how they connected,” Green said. “With just a look, Manu would throw a bounce pass to Tony going backdoor or over the top or something.” To Green, that year-in, year-out consistency has been the key to the Spurs’ persistent success. “Those guys sticking around for so long, it keeps the chemistry even stronger,” Green said. “Those three guys, once you see them clicking, it’s easier for the rest of us to learn and adapt.”
