I don't think so. If you want talent like James Harden you have to pay for it, either by losing or by trading assets. It is a good trade for both teams.
Where is K-Mart's appreciation thread? I'm really happy for Martin. His time would have been wasted in Houston, and he gets to go play for a contender in OKC. And, the role as 6th man behind Durant is perfect for him. OKC probably takes a step back, but it's probably just a half-step back, because Martin should prosper in that situation.
I actually thought his game was fun to watch, knocking down all those threes. Will miss his efficient scoring, but Harden is the overall better player.
Kinda sounds like a load of crap. Martin can score, period. He doesn't rebound, pass, or defend well. Harden is a bigger upgrade than you think.
What's interesting is that Morey actually turned Kevin Martin into something worth substantially more than just a big expiring. As much as OKC wanted to get cheap good rookie contracts going forward to go with their max contracts, they also wanted to compete this year, and Kevin Martin gave them that. Once the extension talk broke down, Houston had a unique offer OKC could not refuse because of Martin. Morey needs to send Martin some fruit baskets thanking him for ripping it up in the preseason.
I'm still enamored with Martin's scoring especially what he did during the preseason. But Harden brings a 1-on-1 defense that Martin could never bring. A Parsons-Harden-Asik defensive combo will lock down a lot of teams, and more importantly, get this team more wins. It will now be up to the entire team to make up for the loss of Martin's scoring. I don't see any problems with that.
Where do people get this myth that Harden is a good defender? Do they watch OKC play at all? He is a slightly below average defender. Better than Martin for sure but thats it.
Martin played no defense, so a slightly below average defender that can score is a HUGE plus. The difference will be felt.
