How do you feel about Harden as the current franchise player and the Rockets building around him?

I don't like it...

I think James is a huge talent but I don't see the heart and prioritizing...

I'd rather we trade him for a less ball dominating player that would help form a more balanced team... and some other assets..

 

indeed, efficient offensively, except against warriors. and we were a top 5 defensive team with him as center. When he wasn't in the lineup we were 19th. He changed shots just by being there.

 

He needs a good 2 way player next to him on the wing or in the backcourt. A guy who can avg 20+ ppg and play good defense. A good defensive center that can play pick n roll on offense, which Capela is on track to developing into. A good shooting stretch 4 and a good 3 and D type in the other wing/guard spot, maybe Ariza.

A lineup like that gives him the space he needs to operate and having another guy to take some of the offensive load off of him would be huge. Also need to get him a good coach that can keep the team disciplined and playing the right way/improving the entire year.

 

I guess you missed the playoffs against Utah.....

 

Harden is a top 10 player and he can be a #1 guy if he is held accountable with a strong coach he respects and teammates that compliment him.

 

Very good, as long we don't follow Iverson game plan!

 

Pretty much this. I'm a Morey fan but it is incomprehensible how much we lack good 3pt shooters and stretch big men. We've yet to build properly around Harden.

The team needs:

• Shooters at EVERY position, huge plus if they can defend and rebound
• A defensive minded head coach to help cover up defensive flaws that may be associated with loading up the roster with the above point

 

glad to know (by these results, anyway) that this board hasn't completely lost its mind. or its memory of last year. james is the best we could hope for. the squad around him doesn't fit right. especially without DMo. he fits with james. beverly fits with james. smith and ariza to an extent. thats about it though.

 

Harden is fine but we need a star powerforward to go with him.

 

Time will heal and time will reveal.

 

He can and will be the guy that leads us to a championship

 

I still want durant tho lol

 

Weird results. I thought it would be closer to 50/50.

 

Ding ding ding!

 

Harden is doing what he needs to do to become a champion. First you learn to score. Then you learn to trust your teammates. Then you learn to D - up. Time and Patience. Dreams can easily and unexpectedly turn into trophies.

 

This......

 

Without question, James is the right guy to build around. We're damn lucky DM pulled the trigger on that trade to land JH here. Imagine where the Rockets would be without #13 on the court: It's not pretty. Even with all of the recent "hate" towards James' personality and maturity progression, he's really not that different from the older superstars/GOATS in the league and retired.

Fans tend to forget that nearly all of the greats had to take a couple of seasons to mature. James is no different. He's going through his growing pains as we speak, but he'll figure the personal stuff out. I don't doubt his desire to win whatsoever, but I also believe that he needs reinforcements to grow with. I like what I see out of JB, but I think James needs a new, unfamiliar face who is respected throughout the league. Additionally, James has already shown that he is capable of being the MVP of the league, but he needs a more diverse roster has to surround him.

We've tried the dominant center approach, but in this age of the NBA, that power forward spot is arguably more important. To build around James, I think you address the coaching situation first and foremost.

James is comfortable with JB, which is great, but at his age, he also needs a coach that challenges him. James is able to "anticipate" JB's next move/constructive comment because he was so familiar with McHale, and now, JB, who still exhibits some of what Kevin implemented (I guess that goes with some of Morey's offensive philosophy, too). In order for James to grow, he's going to need a coach that pushes him both physically and psychologically, in ways that JB is unable to, by default of being here through James' first major chapter as a superstar.

To better support James' growth into his prime, DM needs to figure out that 4 spot, with or without the current offensive philosophy. I think we're going to adjust the whole "3/Layup or bust" ideology, but the Rockets need a dominant forward either way. "Dominant" does not mean a guy like Kenneth Faried. People like to believe that a hustle guy who plays hard, has a few teeth-chattering dunks a game and rebounds at a high volume as "dominant." Really, that's just "power." Ideally, James needs a forward who can post up on command, but equally important, this forward MUST be able to shoot from a pick-and-pop set, all the way to readjusting the offense and spreading the floor for a jumper. Of course, I have a few guys in mind, but unless they WANT to sign here, they're nearly untouchable in trades. I'm not going to include DMo in this discussion, only because he's not a proven star, and his health and future as a Rocket are in question. I'm thinking purely of building around James with a forward who is ESTABLISHED.

I think Dwight is a great guy to help support James, but based on what we've seen, their chemistry as a 1-2 punch is lacking a third wheel. If the floor were spread more with a sharp-shooting 4, I think Dwight would be having a monster season. The problem is that our offensive strategy, mixed with our current roster, lends itself to epically poor spacing and nearly zero opportunities for easy buckets. We're set up where James is forced to do way too much, which in turn, causes turnovers, poor shot selection, and unfortunately, mediocre locker room morale. Our guys know they should be competing in the top spots of the West, and now that they aren't, doubt and distrust has set in.

In the off-season, DM is going to have to build around James in talent and through some of the things you can't teach: Camaraderie, personality chemistry and player-to-player and player-coach trust.

Anyway, if James Harden is your franchise player, you're in pretty good shape. By himself, without the talent from last year or this year, James *could* lead a team to a winning record if he had to play alone. Luckily, that's not in the plans, and we're not going to end up with another Carmelo Anthony in Houston.

 

So what your saying is.... You like mediocre basketball.

A team that the whole league likes because they know there not a threat.

Sound like the rockets with goran dragic and scola.

 

i chose 2, we're stuck with him unless a good trade comes along

jmaes proved this seaosn he cant be a first option on a contender. not many first options to begin with, and when they become fa's they dont waste their careers on sorry ass teams like the rockets. even if they did, we'd have to give up too much, so there wouldnt be enough talent to surround james and durant. just like the tmac/yao era

rockets should try to trade him first
trade him for two all stars, role players and filler
or one all star, two super role players, role players and filler

anything less is a bad trade and should just keep him
maybe this abomination season makes harden work hard as hell this offseason. he's still young and can still improve to be a better 2nd option