Long read. Been on my mind for awhile, sorry. I know I'm going to get bashed for this but here's my two cents. I would try to move Harden+filler for Wall and Beal while Harden's value is still this high. I doubt the Wizards would give up both, but I just don't think Harden is the right fit for this team. Harden is not a Kobe or Jordan. He's not the type of player you want as your primary scoring option come playoff time. He's pretty much a Gilbert Arenas clone who has almost maximized his skillset. With the pieces on this team we don't need a good wing with an adequate playmaker, we need a great point and a solid wing. This team is pretty much the anti-spurs. It looks downright ugly sometimes. Lots of one on one ball. We're last in assists and 9th in pace. Think about that. We've been winning games due to our almost league leading defense. Come playoff time it's going to be a hell of a lot harder to put the clamps down on a team over a 7 game series if our offense looks like hot garbage the majority of the time. Being in the bottom half of the league offensively is a huge red flag at this point in the season regardless of our record. I'm pretty sure the only team in the past 20 years to be in the bottom 1/2 of the league in ORTG and win a championship was the '05 Pistons. One of the greatest defensive teams ever. It just doesn't happen in this era. We've beaten the teams we were supposed to beat. Look at the teams we've lost to or split series with. Golden State, the Grizzlies, San Antonio, the Clippers, the Pelicans - almost all contenders. We've had games against the Kings (we were without Howard, they were without Cousins), Timberwolves, and Nuggets go into overtime. These aren't teams we should be struggling against. Hell, we barely beat the Mavs with Dirk, Parsons, AND Ellis shooting 33% or below - and that was prior to the Rondo trade. 17 of the first 28 games we've played this season have been against teams under .500. Keep in mind I gave a pass to teams like the Pelicans which are at .500. We've had an easy schedule to start, and now that teams like the Thunder are healthy, it's not going to get any easier for us. I doubt we'll maintain this pace much longer. What do y'all think?
Didn't really read the OP's paragraph, but is he being sarcastic? I've read a lot of garbage on clutchfans, but this absolutely tops it all if serious. Harden is the MVP of the league as of today, including in the opinion of notorious Mav lover Marc Stein. He scores, makes plays and leads this team better than anyone we've EVER had not named Hakeem Olajuwon. Worst thread I've ever seen. the WORST.
Yep. He's the favorite for the MVP early, but remind me again - what separates him from Gilbert Arenas currently? Same numbers, same style of play, this team is just winning more games thanks to our defense. I've explained my stance in the first post. Him winning the MVP this year would be similar to Rose winning his. He's far from the best player in this league. Not even in the top 5 currently. He is a talented player, but I don't think he is the player you want next to Dwight Howard. Dwight is doing what he always does on this team and I don't think people appreciate it. He's turned us into an ELITE defensive unit like he did with Orlando. Offensively, we suck. It's because our ball movement sucks. There's no point in having a dominant scorer if we can't get our other players involved. Harden isn't a PG, he gets the Iverson assists: slash and kick.
I like how none of the responses address even one point I've made. Y'all can cover your ears now, but watch come playoff time. I'd be willing to make a tip jar bet that we won't make it past the second round with this team.
I am open to trading Harden as long as we get Durant or Lebron in return. Since that is not going to happen, Harden is going to continue wearing the Rockets jersey.
He is the guy I want as my primary scoring option come playoff time. He's not Gilbert Arenas at all, dude gets to the line. Good point guards are a dime a dozen, if we don't have a playmaker at PG by the deadline we can certainly get one during the offseason. It's better to have max money locked up in Harden, an MVP-quality player, than at the PG position with Wall, Paul (how are the Clippers doing?), Williams, or whoever else.
Harden single handily made us relevant again... we will keep him around as long as he wants to stay here
Some people REALLY do not take losing well. I guess this is better than throwing a TV through a window.
