Too bad they're stuck with Tayshaun Prince for 7 million a season for 2 seasons instead of Rudy Gay for 18 million a season for 2 more seasons! Serge Ibaka approves?!!? <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q6iwShOB92I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Are you a masochist or just the dumbest person in the universe? Prince is cap relief compared to the ebola virus that is Rudy Gay.
Harden wanted to be paid what he was worth. That worth equals a max contract at 5 years. Presti had to trade him or deal with an entire season of distraction. Could he have grabbed a better haul than Martin, Lamb, a lottery pick? Maybe. Thankfully for us he didn't. It's easy to pick on Presti now. If Westbrook were healthy, this thread probably wouldn't exist.
Let's not forget that they can still amnesty Perkins. If they do, there should be plenty of reasonably priced SG/SF's who would be a quality 6th man, and they should be able to get someone like Dalembert pretty cheaply, too. Let's assume they're able to get Courtney Lee in a trade. Which do you think is a better roster overall? Westbrook/Jackson Sefolosha/Lee Durant/Lamb Ibaka/Collison Dalembert/Jones or Westbrook/Jackson Harden/Sefolosha Durant/Lamb Collison Ibaka/Jones
Going all in on Ibaka's interior defense is looking pretty smooth after getting vandalized by Zach Randolph
Actually, Harden wanted to be paid 4yr$60mil, which is what he would've gotten on the RFA market. Or even OKC's 4yr/$56mil with trade kicker. Presti rejected both idea. Also, OKC basically had to choose between Ibaka, Perkins, Harden's haul in trade vs. Harden and Ibaka's haul in a trade. Presti didn't have to trade Harden. He CHOSE to trade Harden. If Westbrook was healthy, this discussion would've happened in the next series against SA or in the finals against Miami. It still would've happened. Because Presti had 3 of the top 10 players in the NBA and decided to trade one of them. Resulting in potentially one of the greatest dynasties in the NBA to be broken up. Also, if the Rockets sign Howard and he returns to his old self, then the Thunder can't even be penciled in for a finals appearance even with both players healthy.
If Harden had stayed in OKC, he wouldn't have evolved into the top 10 NBA player he is today. He would've had the same role he had last year and been ranked similarly.
Which would I rather have? James Harden, or Courtney Lee and Dalembert. Huh. Let me think about this, it might take a while. How can you say that OKC doesn't need Harden to win a ring...when they haven't won a ring yet? I'm not blaming Presti persay. But don't dress up cheap owners by calling it "flexibility" by Presti dumping a top 10 player for basically nothing. No one said Sarver was being flexible when he let Joe Johnson walk. And Kwame? I'll take a book if you have it, but why a book when I can listen to "Oh, I was such a big baller back in the day, let me talk like I'm back in the barbershop, back when basketball was about CLUTCH and HEART" tripe from you?
Take all the time you need. Keep in mind that by keeping Harden and amnestying Perkins, the likely starting PF will be Nick Collison...the same Nick Collison who averaged 6 fouls in 17 minutes in these last 4 games against Memphis.
It's all opinions. Nobody can really say if they needed him or not to win one. They still have two superstars so it is my opinion that they can still win one without him. First of all it's not nothing. Lamb and the picks can still turn into good players. Second, nobody is dressing up anything. Not paying 4 players $65MM has allowed the Thunder to have more flexibility in the future. If they had kept all four at such high price tags they would have been very limited in the moves they could make going forward. If you think that flexibility isn't that valuable then fine but don't talk like that's not what they have because it is.
Yes. Because we all know 22yr old players can't possibly refine their game simply because he's playing with 2 superstars.
Don't change your argument. There's a big difference between "refining" your game and becoming a top-10 player (which is what you originally said). I have no doubt that had Harden stayed with OKC in the same role he had last year, he would've refined his game to some degree. However, I highly doubt he would've refined it to a point where he would've been considered a top-10 player while Westbrook/Durant were also top-10 players.
Ibaka is young but if anything he is the one that is over-rated. Against Memphis both him and Perkins got exposed as the terrible defenders they are. Ibaka makes spectacular plays off the ball but he was absolustely useless guarding ZBo and Gasol. It's nice that he knocks down face up jumpers but he disappears in the offense for games at a time. Conley is playing the best ball of his career but they lost that series in the front court. It makes me think that even with a healthy Westbrook they would have lost that series.
Harden would still be a top 10 player in OKC. he would just have a smaller role. Just because Worthy was a 3rd option in LA doesn't mean he wasn't a HOF player. Same goes for Parish/McHale. Rodman was just as great in Detroit as he was elsewhere when he got to play more. Not being required to do as much doesn't mean you aren't a star. harden is practically the exact same player for us as he was in OKC. he just has a bigger role.
I love how you're moving the goalposts. First, its "top-10 player". Then, it devolves into "HOF player." And finally, downgraded into "star" player. But let's get back to the original point....top-10 player. There is absolutely no way Harden would've been a top 10 player if he stayed in OKC. He wasn't even an all-star last year.
I think we're also overlooking the fact that veteran teams are the ones that win championships. Presti has done a good job of putting together a collection of talent but winning a champioship takes a certain amount of toughness that this group just doesn't have yet. Memphis went out there and punched them in the teeth and they never got up. But, there future looks just fine. Let's forget they have another lotto pick this draft.
I just want to take the time to thank Sam Presti for going full r****d on us and gifting us the superstar that is James Harden.
