ESPN_Kevin Pelton: Rockets Should Trade James Harden

If you want to follow a good analytics guy don't listen or follow Pelton. Follow Seth Partnow. He knows MUCH MUCH more and he is not BSPN biased.

 

Which should be noted, isn't 100% Harden's fault even though that's his current narrative. Ariza and Howard's defense has dropped off since they are past their peak athleticism + Howard's injuries.

I mean, we're starting Corey f***ing Brewer at PF now. Before that we had TJones at PF. Pairing up Lawson with Harden is a disaster defensively.

On top of that we still commit way too many turnovers which kills the defense.

 

Not happening any time soon unless he tries to force himself out, which he won't. James has it too, too good here.

 

Trade James for what? Unproven picks? Lol. We would be back in 9th seed contention year after year.

 

Didn't read the article but that's just silly. I don't care what "flaws" he has in his game, you don't trade a 26 year old star player. I mean the dude is one year removed from being a LEGIT MVP candidate and one who many felt he deserved.

Almost every great player goes through a defining period in their career where people questioned if they were championship material. LeBron, MJ, even Curry with his injuries. People tend to forget Dream was moments from being traded from a city wondering how committed he was. I don't know where Harden's career will take him but, unless there's a HUGE rift between he and management or he's a nutcase off the court, you ride with him, build around him and hope he uses this adversity to help refine his game to lead this team to huge success just like those other guys I mentioned.

 

Call up Chicago and bring Jimmy back home. They don't care about defense over there anymore. Butler on this team instantly makes us better...I have always defended James but he just does not GAF anymore.

 

Yea...lets make the Rockets unwatchable by trading Harden. Great idea

 

actually that trend already started quite awhile ago for many

 

If Morey is the Genius we all think (hope) he is, he only needs to pull one thing off. We need a lights out shooting sf that plays hard nosed smart defense or a stretch 4.
This would stop the double teams that Harden draws when time is running out. If they do, this guy should have the ability to make them pay. That's what we don't have. Harden feels he has to be the guy in the final 20 seconds to make the shot. Everyone else stands around while he brings the ball up, and when the clock winds down three defenders will surround Harden, and he'll pick up his dribble facing the back court where he can't see anyone to pass to.

Could this be sf's Joe Johnson? N. Batum, L. Deng, M. Williams.
Or a pf like Horford or P. Gasol or R. Anderson.
Anybody before we blow this thing up?

 

If jimmy wanted to come home... then f' yes...bye Harden...

 

offensively, you have a point. but imo our #1 problem is our 28th-ranked defense. need to address that 1st.

 

not entirely impossible. chi isnt doing too well. we can only hope...

 

And there in lies the biggest problem...

Like having a spoiled kid that knows he can do what ever he wants without being accountable or accepting responsibility for anything.

T_Man

 

Pelton gave us a variety of pupu platters to choose from.

No way we trade Harden for anything less than a young star and multiple first rounders, at least one of which is guaranteed to be lottery.

 

No way I am a Boston. Grew up in Houston and been a Rockets fan forever. I've never been more disgusted with a team than this year. I could sit through the Francis Mobley years, the Scola Brooks years etc. At least those teams had heart. I can watch us lose as long as there is effort.

I can't watch the Rockets this year just get flat out hustled. The problem is James Harden. I don't care that he averages 28 pts etc. He gets like 5 turnovers a game and the guy he is guarding always has a career day against us. He dribbles the ball for 23 seconds and throws it to a teammate to jack up a crappy shot. I just don't think he cares about basketball. His commercial says it all. Be Yourself. He is who he is. Dude got paid and just doesn't care. Even going back to last year, the best game we had was Game 6 vs the Clippers. Harden wasn't even on the court during the comeback.

Right now he has more value than Dwight. He's under contract. I would trade him because we can get more in return for Harden than we get for Dwight. I would resign Dwight and trade him next year when he has more value. Or do a sign and trade. You never sell low on stars. It never works out.

As far as that pick is concerned. I love Buddy Hield. I haven't seen a shooter like that in college ever. He takes like 9 threes a game and hits 50%. Those are Steph Curry numbers. I'd take my chances with him.

 

We are going nowhere if we don't invest in a coach, and if our defense remains so terrible.

I'm not opposed to blowing it all up and trying to get top tier picks. But we'll never win a trade, talent wise, straight up for James. We'll get fleeced if trying to get a pupu platter back.

So: (1) go all in on a real coach and tell James it the coach's way or the highway;
(2) blow the dysfunctional mess up and get some good picks.

Prefer path 1 b/c 2 (a la Sixers) will be so painful, but at least maybe the team would try every night.

 

I remember when Hakeem was thought of as a stat compiler who didn't care about winning. Good times.

 

Only a possible trade is for Griffin from LAC, that is all.

 

agreed.

"A BOAT'S A BOAT, but the mystery box could be anything. IT COULD EVEN BE A BOAT. You know how much we wanted one of those" Peter Griffin.

 

Exactly. Harden is UNTRADEABLE. HE is our only chance at winning a championship in the next 10 years. He is having a down year as a team player but it's part of a process. He's had a hard time adjusting to fame this year after getting involved with a woman who is 100x more famous than he is. I believe he underestimated the polarity of that family. Let's not jump the shark because we are having a bad 55 game stretch.

A year from now we will look at these suggestions to trade Harden and we will be quoting people who suggested to get rid of him for scraps and there will be those who take pleasure in putting the doubters on blast.