I liken most that do not want harden back without providing a viable back up plan/running it back with kpj the same weirdos who would prefer us losing with team play than watch harden play
Kobe Bryant would get MVP votes this season if there was a write in. Most of the MVP voters are on autopilot. There is always a several year lag between when a player isn't good anymore and when the rest of the league notices because the reality is, most writers follow a single team and just catch box scores for the rest. Harden is still a box score hero much like Kobe was late into this career. Harden can still do some things for sure in the right context but he is definitely not anywhere in MVP territory at this point and I think Houston fans would be tortured by opposing team's paint scoring if Harden where our PG. It's one thing to have Embid swallowing up shots at the rim from perimeter players who got by Harden - quite another if Sengun is that player. You also gotta think Harden is able to continue to play the way he has because he is surrounded by somewhat of a real team but if you put him out there with our current core and their shaky shooting, teams are just going to swarm Harden and make our poor shooters beat them...and on most nights, they won't....and at that point Harden will be averaging like 17 and 7 and not playing defense and people will wonder what was so bad about KPJ in the first place. ...agree that Harden is a good PG still - just think all of Harden's worts at this point of his career will be on display in a young roster like ours and it will look WAY worse than how it looks in Philly right now.
That's what I am banking on. Also fans are fans, it's easy to turn on somebody and then flip flop to another take. They have to watch it with their own eyes.
Harden’s defense is no more problematic than Green’s or KPJ’s. In fact, you can scheme around Harden’s defense, because he is still a good post defender. I watched him closely on defense in the last game and he definitely understands positioning and when he is engaged he stays in front of his man pretty well. Harden’s offense is still very effective, although for whatever reason he’s isn’t hitting his floaters and missing some layups. That may continue to be a problem or it might just be an anomaly. He still can get past his man on a consistent basis and hit 38% from 3. Led the league in assists. If we can get him for 3 years with a team option on 4th, in my opinion it would be worth gamble just to see how he elevates Jabari and Green, which KPJ has neither the ability or intention to do.
People should watch Harden get the ball to people in their spots - that's not something that shows in every highlight film, but he knows exactly when to pass it so that the player he is playing with has the ball exactly where he needs it. It can be Joel Embiid all the way on down to PJ or Paul Reed. His ability to read the floor and get the ball to guy in his preferred spot is probably the best in the league.
Harden makes the likes of Paul Reed look competent on offense…imagine what he could do with a Jabari Smith
LMAO at Harden being a leader. He’s always been a talent. He’s not a coach. He’s not even setting himself up these days. You’re better off spending on a Cam Johnson or some one closer to the age of these kids who can grow with them. Again, this ship has sailed. Just watch him in Philly and appreciate shat was.
I would prefer to take a flyer on someone closer to the age of these kids. He probably is a better fit with the Thunder. They’re also a better team currently.
Ima hiring pretty much seals the deal. Also if you listen to hardens post game presser after the Brooklyn series he keeps mentioning it’s all about this year like there is a finality after this season on Philly.
I'm really torn on this. If we were to really get Jaylen Brown AND draft a top pick...is Harden the right thing for this team or not.
Trade Jalen Green for Jaylen Brown Harden Brown Martin Jabari/Tari Sengun/Wemby Head Coach Ime Udoka; looks like a contender to me.
Harden can make literally anybody look good with his play making, he will make everybody on our team better, the only real worry is if he can maintain that type of production for 4 years. I think it's worth the risk bc the alternatives are not good. Pg is vital for the development of all the youngsters and helps sengun game.
I think if the Rockets do a sign and trade of any kind Sengun is more likely to be included then Green.
I wouldn’t trade Jalen green I would trade some of those nets draft picks if not all of them ? How many do we have of theirs ?
Harden getting like 20+ppg with almost 11 dimes per with top 3 seed in his conference is definitely worthy of MVP votes, its just that his mate has been a MVP finalist past two or so years which will take votes from Harden If Nash can put up like 16ppg and almost 12apg and win mvp, then those numbers Harden are doing is MVP vote worthy as well, Nash just happened to have best record or top two which propelled him to that award, because his stats in those back to back were not eye popping besides the dimes, Nash avg like 16/19ppg winning those back to back mvps
...but MVPs aren't really about the stats because if they were, there have likely been a whole slew of PGs who averaged 16/12 and never got a single MVP vote(one of them was even named Kevin Porter! ...but not our Kevin Porter of course). When you watched that team - Nash orchestrated the entire offense - he was easily the best player in the court on most nights. When you watch 76ers games - at no point in the game do you think Harden is more important than Embid. Hell 4 or 5 of Harden's assists are because Embid is nearly impossible to guard. When the 76ers are in a tight game - it's Embid taking and making the big shots, making the big blocks and steals. Harden isn't trash, but he isn't anywhere near MVP quality right now. Let's face it - he's over the hill both as a superstar and certainly as an MVP candidate. He WAS that dude, but he isn't anymore - no amount of creative stat line interpretation is going to bring that back....but agree Harden is still good - just not THAT good.
