Again, you aren't saying who we should have used it on, and which players we should have let go in order to use it on them. Unless you are doing that, you aren't really making an argument.
The argument is crystal clear. Facts. Most champions pay the tax. The Rockets did not. Further lessening the likelihood of winning it all.
That's not an argument since you aren't saying who they should have spent more money on that would have made a difference. Also is that person going to make the team make shots? Is that person going to make CP3 not pull his hamstring? It's just whining more so than an actual argument without more specificity.
He's been unstoppable for 8 years. I'm not worried about him not being able to dominate. Why do you assume that losses will mount. I like this roster and think they can be very successful one they get use to playing together. Do you disagree?
The offseason garbage by supposed "fans" on the GARM alone is enough to say we don't deserve Harden, and Harden should go somewhere else where the team would gladly spend the dough to get him a shot at the chip, where the fans would ride or die with Harden as the best player. I don't hear Dame Dollar being criticized by the Blazers fans on the same level. Nor do I hear the Bucks fans doing the same. God forbid if Nowitzki was ever this terrible ... What would Mavs fans do? These damn bandwagon Houston Rockets fans jumping on the sport and the team like they know what they're talking about with Harden, it's downright annoying to see.
In the luxury tax era all champions have either paid the tax, had their best players on a rookie deal or on a HUGE discount, or had Lebron and AD. The Rockets didn’t check any of those boxes during Harden’s time here. Paying the tax guarantees nothing, but you can’t deny the results so far. Your demand for an exact name is a cop out when I’m not arguing for any particular player. The argument is we didn’t give ourselves every advantage possible. Paying the tax is an advantage over other teams. It’s why they get to collect a check at the end of year.
Again you fail to suggest who they should have spent money on, just that they should have been in the tax simply to say they were in the tax. Paying the tax wouldn't prevent CP3 from pulling his hamstring, paying the tax wouldn't make Rockets make their shots, paying the tax wouldn't have stopped Harden from disappearing the times he did in the playoffs. Come up with an actual argument and we can continue, but saying they should pay the tax simply to say they paid the tax isn't an intelligent argument.
The owner has often said he would do whatever it takes to win a ring. One of the possibile thing any owner could do is pay the tax for a player to increase the teams chances of winning it all, we don't have to name any one. The fact that the owner never did shows he was just speaking out of his ass, hence harden wanting to bail. The fact that the owner never made any attempt to go over the tax on any player speaks volume.
If you don't have the name of a player that they should have paid, that they could have paid, that would have made a difference, then you don't have an argument. Wanting to pay the tax just to say you paid the tax is stupid and it handcuffs your team for the future. People cheered when Golden State did that this season....but there's always people who will cheer you on as you do stupid things.
I think it’s hard for a team to be very successful when it’s best player wants out and everyone else has to walk on egg shells to keep him happy. As long as Harden doesn’t change his stance with the team, and his teammates are aware of that, my best guess is that tensions will mount as the season progresses and there will be a high likelihood of locker room combustion if the trade deadline passes with him still here. Under those circumstances. I think the Rockets can be competitive and make the playoffs, but not great and not in serious contention to win a championship.
Q Nobody is walking on egg shells. Its just a game bro You're sticking to this drama as Harden has balled out and everyone looks good. Let it go its over. Stupid off season drama
I would like to see Harden retire as a Rocket, but if that isn't possible, I would like to have Harden for one last year as a Rocket. Hopefully he stays. GMO
But that is entirely your speculation on what has happened and what will happen. We have no way of knowing what the atmosphere or interactions on the team are or will be. Everyone is playing hard. From the limited view that we get we've seen Harden interacting with many players. Maybe they just want to win. Harden has meshed with Wood very well. As long as your best player is out there killing it and trying to make the team win, I'm not sure why that would bother his teammates. Shaq and Kobe hated each other for most of their time together but they still won titles together. Players dont have to be best friends to be successful when they are talented. Rather than trying to guess how everyone feels and what you project as will happen, watch what's happening on the floor. From what we've seen there's zero evidence of any effect on the team performance. You don't trade the best offensive player of this generation and make the team much worse just because you're afraid of how people may feel at a later date. If an issue arises later then you deal with it then. If we trade Harden then we are screwed for the near future so don't go nuclear until there's a reason to.
Yes, I’m speculating quite a bit, and I’ll adjust my opinion as I get more information. I don’t consider what I’ve seen so far (3 games to start the season, 2 without major rotation players) as significant enough to really alter my prior assessment of how the season will unfold.
Id rather have Harden bought in to Silas' system. But im not horrified of the prospect of this team plus whatever fun pieces Harden would be swapped for (remembering that those pieces can in turn be swapped for more).
