So the trade involving CP3 plus 1st round picks and swaps was a bad deal for Russell Westbrook. Ok. CP3 would not have made a difference in getting past the Lakers just like he didn’t help us get past the Warriors in previous season’s. That’s just my take. So my understanding is the 1st Round Pick (2020) would have been #22. Correct me if I’m wrong. Rockets should have taken who exactly with that pick? Just out of curiosity I would like to know who the Rockets would have right now with Harden/CP3 ? Who the Rockets would take with the other 1st Round Pick and swaps to be determined later. Feel free to chime in with your feelings towards a hypothetical non trade as to the makeup of the team to present day. I know it’s just dwelling in the past; but I keep hearing others dwelling in the past by bringing up that trade and its results. There are two sides to every coin.
What if John Wall plays at an elite level for 3 years with minimal injury impact AND Cousins plays 3 years for us as a versatile above average big? We can still win the Russ trade.
We don't start trading / swapping picks until next year. The Thunder are receiving Chris Paul, first-round picks in 2024 and 2026 and the right to swap first-rounders in 2021 and 2025 Essentially we mortgaged our future hoping that Westbrook would bring us championship glory.
Yes, if CP3 hurt his Hamstring in Game 5 of the Laker series (assuming we had him instead of WB), we would have probably lost.
We could have had a real shot last year against the Lakers with the CP3 who played for the Thunder last year and 2018 playoffs Capela who took it to Gobert and KAT, but was just a bad matchup against GSW. Also, the draft capital we gave up in the CP3 trade might have been used for something like swapping Gordon out for an upgrade during the season. Maybe we could have done a Roco deal still like that. If we had 2019 playoffs CP3 and Capela the Lakers would have still rolled us. But it's in the past. This team could be pretty good if we catch some breaks with health and Harden somehow decides to come back and buys in.
Okay so A. We have the better player. And we ALL know that even Chris Paul at his worst is a net positive on the floor. And at his best...well yall saw last playoffs. Anyways against the Lakers....you see no doubling of Harden because you just cant do that with Cp3 on the floor. B. Picks....Im of the mind that I sadly say Clint still gets traded to get Covington...probably. C. BUT We still have those picks so we CAN use them to also bring in a shooting big man, or possibly Chrisitan Woods. OR we keep those picks....we decide to blow it up, Daryl is still here and he helps us rebuild. Any way you look at this, we are in the clear if this trade doesnt happen. It was a mistake.
Disagree, if we can take those Warriors with KD to close games for 6 games every single game, I think we could take the Laker..that's just my opinion though.
Hypothetical, you think Rockets make a run at Giannis? To make Harden happy and get Giannis out of Mil (get Max). Ok Own 3-picks in 2021, Gordon, Tucker, House, and Woods. Salary would add up to (~40+). FO says picks will be used for trades, Have a history with Woods, upside and future picks all while keeping Holiday and Middleton and getting back picks. Just saying
Maybe. We're still dealing with Eric Gordon's decline last year and the Rockets were designed better to compete against those Warriors teams with the heavy isolation and switch everything scheme than vs. the Lakers. Vogel still would have outcoached MDA and blown up our iso ball. 2019 playoffs CP3 was still a lot better than 2020 playoffs Russ (extremely low bar!) but he couldn't take Looney off the dribble in that series. If you had 2020 CP3 or especially 2018 playoffs CP3 it would change a lot. The real big key is also Capela. Maybe 2018 playoffs Capela even with 2019 playoffs CP3 would have been able to make that a real series. I think we'd need more than our 2019 playoffs team as those guys were playing at that time, but I see where you are coming from.
Personally I do think Harden added Milwaukee to his destination list so that Houston would consider a Giannis-Harden trade. Im wondering if Harden has heard Giannis can’t commit to the Bucks. Harden doesn’t want to commit to any team. Supposedly Harden said he would consider trying Brooklyn for two years. Makes any team hesitate on giving up a ton for rental. Easier for both to change scenery and bolt from new team just like Kawhi did from the Raptors. I’m not sure about Harden-Giannis max money being equal. I find it hard to believe Harden thinks he and Giannis will get a trade and par up together. Not realistically.
See, it's really weird to me considering all Vogel did was essentially double James at half court and sag off of Russ. I really just think Cp3 is too smart for whatever defensive scheme you try to throw at him with the exception of switching everything in which case, be my guest. Hmmm...somewhere lost in this, is that I would really like Rob in both scenarios haha.
