Hypothetical - would you trade Harden for Kawhi?

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Kawhi’s titles came with Pop, Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili as well as a very good and deep Raptors team coached by Nick Nurse playing against a decimated GS squad

he just choked harder than Harden has ever done blowing a 3-1 lead to a team he was highly favored against culminating in 14 points on 6-22 shooting in a game 7

tell me what he’d have accomplished with these Rockets rosters...

since the lockout season which was his rookie year, Kawhi has played in 66 games or less in 6 out of 8 seasons...none of these Rockets rosters are like the Spurs or the Raptors where they can still win 50+ games and be a high playoff seed while the best player on the team misses 20+ games

Kawhi missed all of the 17-18 season, and the Spurs still made the playoffs...let Harden miss an entire season...we’d be scouting top 5 picks if we still had our pick that year

so u can’t even say Kawhi would’ve won a title with the Rockets in 17-18 because his ass was out with injury the whole year

He was willing to leave Pop and the Spurs, so he definitely would’ve done even more fckery to leave this organization and get to LA. Oh, and because of his demand to only be in LA and him having that injury, his trade value wasn’t even that high. So the Rockets would’ve traded Harden for Kawhi, and then we trade his injured ass a few seasons later for freaking Derozan and trash. That’s what the 196 fools in this thread voted yes to...

 

Abso-fukcing-lutely. Kawhi doesn’t fold in big moments and he’s 2 years younger than Harden. Clippers would never trade him straight up for Jim though. No GM would.

 

I used to think Kawhi was destined to be an all-timer...like Top 10 all-timer. Then I saw the implosion of the Clippers and realize that he isn't a leader. He's an elite player that you can rely upon (well okay not that Game 7) but you're still going to need that x-factor/leader like how Harden needed CP3 in 2018.

 

@J Sizzle

Just so you know this actually happend.

 

13 pts in g7 vs LAC in 2015
14 pts in g7 vs DEN in 2020

He's had some great performances in big games but "doesn't fold" is a complete stretch. And the age gap carries less weight when considering Kawhi's injury history.

 

“Don’t quote me bro... I don’t respect your opinion.”

 

2 rings and 2 x Finals MVP. Talk to me when Harden gets any ONE of those.

 

Sure, no arguing that. Back to your original post though, he's not some flawless player that many including yourself have made him out to be. He has certainly folded in big moments.

 

And this was apparent when the Clippers folded against Denver. Like he was the best player on the teams that won a championship that's for certain. However, he wasn't tasked or needed to be THAT leader on those teams. I think of Kawhi as an elite mercenary--you hire him to do a job, he does it very well but you don't pay him to lead. Like I don't think Doc Rivers, Steve Ballmer or Lawrence Frank understood how much the team needed that CP3-like leader when they traded for Kawhi because they probably thought "yea the guy's quiet but he's a leader too".

 

Its not my opinion. These are just the facts.

 

Not flawless. Nobody in this era is. However, Harden is NOT anywhere near his level when the playoffs roll around. Harden has allowed bums like Jonathon Simmons and Lou Dort make a name off him in the playoffs. Dort popping off for 30 while Harden goes 4/17 in game a game 7 and barely barelyyy advancing showed me all I needed to see. As if his previous disappearances And failures wasn’t enough.

I don’t know how you guys remain so optimistic and hopeful with Harden year after year. Dude is built for the regular season and he struggled mightily even with that earlier this season.

He’s already peaked. He wasn’t good enough before and he won’t be close to good enough next year. I don’t trust a Harden led team. Never will. Don’t let me stop you though. Tilman needs believers like you.

 

This as the only thing i would give Kawhi over Harden.

 

He definitely folded in Game 7 against the Nuggets. Dude was a complete non factor on both ends. Just running around out there.

 

Even that is debatable. He basically forced his way out of San Antonio....that's not exactly coachable (although I think he was right to do so to an extent).

 

how is harden not coachable? so if Harden followed MDA to a T he would be a champ now? LOL

 

Not going to disagree here. He definitely was off but his overall playoffs body of work speaks for itself.

 

I think it was smart. Actually, looking at the final result it was a genius move on his part. If only Harden could follow suit and see his way out.

 

Westbrook for kawhi?

 

Still mad no one wants Jerry Lynn? If he is two years younger you wouldn't freaking know it with the amount of time you have to load manage lol. Lenard proved to be exactly what he is a late lottery pick parading as a elite. Clippers bought it, now they will suck. George has been on the decline for a while.

 

If I had a bad/average team and roster, I'd rather have harden.

If I had a good team/roster I'd rather have kawhi.