Haven't read the thread. For those who want to discuss trading Harden, who do you guys want back in return?
1. So swap a healthy 2 time mvp runner up to a division rival for an injured system player? Remember the Ariza years? Imagine what Pops can do against GSW with Harden, LMA, Gay, and his system? 2. Are the Rockets role players right now alot better than the Cav role players? They better be if you want the Rockets to even be in the playoffs with Lebron. 3. Durant doesn't have the balls to be the best a player on a team and with less than 4 other all-stars already on the team. 4. The Greek - so we be 8th seed and 1st round fodder for years? Howbout Kyrie? He is "leading" the Celts amirite?
You seem to be forgetting one very important key fact here; has bad as those players all are for whatever various reasons, they are still PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS. Every single player that makes it to the league and even the ones that don't all have the ability to get hot and half a big game. On the other side of the coin, even the best superstars in the game will have atrocious nights for whatever reason. This is a FACT OF LIFE and this human element is what prevents us from using statistics to perfectly predict each and every outcome. As for your last statement, that is just pure and utter foolishness. Each moment in each playoffs game is just as crucial IMO and there are a million reasons of why things may or may not go wrong for any player on any given night. What matters for me is OVERALL CONSISTENCY and James Harden has been consistently GREAT, on a historic level in fact.
people in the beginning wanted to trade him for Lillard, Wiggins, and guys like D’angelo Russell/Julius Randle...yes, those were the names being brought up in this thread
I'm not sure about that, personally. Putting Harden on the Warriors now? With KD, and fully developed and confident Dray and Klay. Sure. But all that is good out of the GSW grew out of Curry, and Kerr instituting an offense around Curry that made sense. Curry's on/off and +/- type stats over the last 4 years plus playoffs for the Warriors are insane. Rockets were 4th best not 2nd last year. Those ideas are dumb, yes. But clearly if you are going to discuss trading Harden, its either for (i) two top type players... which basically won't happen, or (ii) young high upside assets, to move the window 5 years into the future. I wouldn't describe Russell/Randle as that, though.
last year we were 3rd best overall. we were 4 wins above cavs and they were in the least. when CP3 comes back we're 2nd best do you advocate tanking or when do you advocate it?
Maybe people just love being in basketball purgatory and they miss fighting for that 8-10th spot in the West.
And this 99er should be banned for this dumb thread. I avoided this thread until now but dam, how stupid does this look? This postseason will be better and Harden with Paul will be a much better outcome