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[Amick/Iko via The Athletic] Inside the final days of the James Harden era with the Houston Rockets

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by joshuaao, Jan 18, 2021.

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  1. HillBoy

    HillBoy Contributing Member

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    I don't agree. This was always in the works. Anyone who follows the NBA knew that eventually Harden was going to want out once he saw that the Rox weren't championship contenders. He's watched LBJ, AD and KD do it and they got rings. What has me shaking my head is that he, Morey, Tilman & Alexander put all of their chips on D'Antoni whose system had been proven to be unable to win a championship. And, when everything fell apart, Morey, MDA and now Harden walked away - choosing not to deal with the mess they created. It's the nature of the beast as far as the NBA is these days.
     
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  2. cerophilik

    cerophilik Member

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  3. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    Good theory. But I doubt that if Harden and Durant are successful together, they would want to bolt. We want the Nets to be really bad in 2022. But both Harden's and Durant's contracts last until 2023. They will have to force their way out of a winning situation. I guess we can wait for the 2024 pick to be good.
     
  4. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    In 20 years, we might be good again!
     
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  5. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    The "fail in spectacular fashion" is less a "good theory" and more a statement that it's a bad trade, as that won't happen barring injuries. Durant/Harden like each other too much.
    Both Harden and Durant of player option on their last year. It's not uncommon for players to be dealt leading up to the PO decision. Similar odds to hoping for injuries to "fail in a spectacular fashion."
     
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  6. D-rock

    D-rock Member

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    This narrative is tired.

    And even if Harden was "sandbagging" then Wall AND Silas should be embarrassed because the Harden only units were much more efficient (1st in offensive net rating) than Wall only led units (bottom of the league).

    So even when Harden was not trying, pouting, lazy, fill in the blank with your favorite Harden hating word, Beard was still the best player on the team and had the team playing at their best.
     
    #46 D-rock, Jan 18, 2021
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2021
  7. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    It is not ethical to wish for injuries. But Golden State went from a super team to a lottery team in just one year. Both Durant and Harden are on the other side of 30, with Durant coming back from a serious injury. I'd say the odds of them failing are better than them wanting to leave a successful situation together.

    Even if they are both healthy, it is still possible that they are not as good as expected and get frustrated and the team implode. If I were the Nets FO, I'd trade Kyrie asap even if it means not getting the same amount of talent back. He is a time bomb that could ruin their season.
     
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  8. JW86

    JW86 Member

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    See you’re trying to start something by exaggerating and pretending to be responding to what I said. And your last line: lets hold off on making outrageous statements that likely will be proven false soon.
     
  9. ChillyPete32

    ChillyPete32 Member

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    Honestly, it's probably good everything blew up when it did. After that Lakers series our medium/long term future looked incredibly depressing. I was ready for another shot at it this season, but toppling the Lakers after they improved in the offseason was going to be pretty daunting.

    With things blowing up when they did we probably got a much better haul for James than had he wanted this one year later (but you never know where the leverage will come into play). We got a head start on not sucking by 2024 when OKC controls our draft for 3 years. We've got a potential all-star on a potentially way below market deal, which is the best way to really build. We picked up some protected picks with the Wall and Roco deals. We get to see what we turn Dipo into (either via trade or playing for us).

    I also doubt Brown was part of the Celtics package with how well he is playing, honestly. Guessing it was a boatload of picks with Smart, Kemba, Lankford, and whoever else.
     
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  10. D-rock

    D-rock Member

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    Where did I exaggerate?

    Facts are now outrageous?
     
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  11. HP3

    HP3 Member

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    They had a baseline to work with and couldn’t do anything with it.
     
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  12. apollo33

    apollo33 Member

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    I don't think they are going to breakup, I just don't think they will be all that good in 4-5 years time. Can't beat father time, unless you are a freak like Lebron
     
  13. nigma2000

    nigma2000 Member

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    This big 3 in Brooklyn will be a 3 year window, and they will see if they can win a championship in those years. After that I think they all will be gone by then.

    Which is great for us as Rockets fans but I do hope we don’t wait until then and we actually try to use these picks to get established young stars starting next off season. Just keep adding the likes of a Herro from Miami, a Porter Jr. from Denver or heck even Zion in a couple of years. You know he will want out by then.
     
  14. DonKnock

    DonKnock Member

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    Lol they’re going to run the D’Antoni system in Brooklyn and win a title this year cause they actually have the talent there. That is what the difference maker is, the talent, not the system
     
  15. Nero

    Nero Member

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    To me, the way Morey and D'Antoni and Harden tried to make this work here over the last several years, it was kind of like one of those super-twitchy video games, like 'flappy bird' or something like that... the type of thing where, *as long as you play perfectly*, you can win. And I mean perfectly - you couldn't have a mediocre game against a top-shelf opponent and win. Yes, you could beat those teams (and I believe we HAD it in our hands before CP3's hammy went blooey), but the combination of the Rockets' offense being too easy to defend AND the always-looming spectre of an off-night (or even just a mediocre night) would always doom the team in the end.

    It was too hard to execute perfectly all the time, and it was too easy to defend, because there was no variety in the offense. Everyone knew what the Rockets were going to do on offense, so it was not that hard to coach up against it, especially in a long series.

    So, while it was interesting and sometimes fun, in the end, it was a failure.

    The problem for #13 is that he spent 8 years being catered to, and whether or not he can integrate himself back into a team concept remains to be seen.

    Personally, when someone turns into end-of-Rockets T-Mac, basically just making it clear on the floor that he was no longer trying or caring, the player loses almost all respect from me as a fan.

    So, frankly, at this point, I don't give a hoot whether he ever wins a ring or not.
     
  16. Nook

    Nook Member

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    The Rockets are getting either picks or the rights to swap every year through 2027.

    The Nets could win a title this year and even next year and be terrible with or without Harden and Durant.

    Kevin Durant and James Harden both have heavy mileage on them..... Harden is 31 and Durant is 32 years old...... the chance of injury, leaving in free agency or decreased ineffectiveness is very real.
     
  17. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    again, goes back to the talent around harden this is true with any championship contender
     
  18. Nero

    Nero Member

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    No, it's not just the talent.

    Do you think the Lakers last year would have won the ring if they were playing D'Antoni's offense?

    That offense CAN win, but it has to be perfect, and there are too many factors constantly weighing against it being perfect, enough times to win a ring, against top shelf opposition and good defensive coaching.

    I wish it were not true, but it is.

    Mayyyybe the GSW teams of a few years ago (because they were also extremely good defensively), but I can't see any other team actually going all the way in that offense.
     
  19. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    Nash's offense with Harden, KD, Kyrie >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> D'Antoni's offence with Harden and WB
     
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  20. dmoneybangbang

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    Morey/MDA/Harden excelled at creating a base offense that relied heavily on Harden orchestrating 3s, layups, and free throws.... we needed some additional wrinkles in the playoffs that we stubbornly didn't use for whatever reason. CP3 was a wrinkle since he could manufacture a bucket without the dogmatic adherence to the base offense.
     

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