Grantland: Ibaka’s Return Fuels More ‘What If’ Questions About James Harden

As much as ppl want to rag on harden for partying or playoffs failure we're still a lot better off with him then without him. Unless we can trade him for KD or Lebron, but let's be real that's not happening. Hardens 24 has a boatload of money and if possibly gonna be 1st team all nba no worse than 2nd IMO. Yet ppl want to trade him and get rid of him. My question is for who? Love? Dragic? Paul George? All the young Allstars can't do the things harden does to make his team better.

Number don't lie the guy is special he's above 60% ts the last two yrs while avg over 25 ppg and being top 5 in win shares. No one else is doing that but Lebron and KD. Yet the dummy's on this Board want to trade him for blue collar guys so we can be mediocre again.

He's 24 guys when I was 24 I partied and slacked on my job. Trust me when you get a little older that kind of stuff doesn't matter. Just cause he's in the nba doesn't mean he's not a human. Ppl said the same stuff about Lebron I remember him partying in Vegas before playoff games all the time. Now he's the greatest in the game. You just gotta give him time if he's 28 and still doing the same thing that's one thing but not 24. History says he'll get it because guys at his age just usually arnt that good. We would look dumb to trade him when he's so good and hasn't hit his prime yet.

 

Hyperbole at its finest. You're being intellectually dishonest here.

 

Hyberbole ? When someone try to defend Harden, say hyperboles but when so many idiots trash him in every thread , it's perfectly accepted.

 

Two seasons after the fact ... they should have kept Harden.

 

Ibaka really showed off his post defense skills at the end of that game.

 

OKC has to get to the finals for the trade to not be a failure.

To break up that trio of guys all 23 years and under after reaching the finals was insane. They are still a very good team, but having Harden there was a game changer.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

People keep acting like the decision was between Harden and Ibaka. No, the decision was keep Harden, Ibaka and find a cheap PG e.g Dragic or hell, Beverly.

In addition to that, you AMNESTY PERKINS!

 

Rockets fans should be thankful they have a talent such as Harden on this team. He has his warts. But is a serious talent. Think back a few years when the team seemed directionless. That was a lot worse than wondering how to cover up Harden's warts.

 

They have to win the Finals to justify it.

 

That explains why he's so much better in the 4th quarter, because defenses give up more fast breaks and free throws in that quarter.

 

It should have never been one or the other.

If I was OKC, I would try everything I could to keep Durant-Westbrook-Ibaka-Harden together.

It is not often you get a chance to get a young and a proven core like that.

Had they kept that core together, they would have been looking at a dynasty.