I wonder how he would mesh with Ime. Ime is a serious defensive minded coach. Ime can’t afford to get on the whole team for defensive assignments and then let Harden skate. I watch game 7 and his defense was terrible. He doesn’t rotate and his teammates were still scrambling to cover multiple assignments(one being his) like it used to happened in Houston. I don’t want to go back to that
Warmly welcome? Based on response, i see some firm No's and some luke warms. (conditional yes if based on the contracts).
If we draft Scoot, Wallace or Black then no. No if he costs more than 25 a yr with a team option on every yr after yr 1. So probably no.
I really watched his defense -- playoff defense -- and was similarly disappointed. To me, this is a yes/no question. I like so much about James and appreciate his offensive game, but I want the Rockets to point themselves toward true contention, like making it to the finals and competing at that level. James, especially at this time, would just not be part of that unless he was happy as like an instant offense man off the bench (a la OKC, though he was putrid in the finals for them as a youngster). And do we have much evidence that he's a teacher? That he mentors younger players? Even if he could teach people his savant like passing, I don't want young players to see his defensive effort. I just don't. I would bet Ime doesn't want that either. Luckily for everyone who disagrees with me, I will play zero part in the decision-making process.
No I would not welcome his return. It's weird to me that we're even at this point. Three yrs of losing only to circle back around and re-sign an older less dynamic version of the dude who caused all of this???
Resigning Harden is like getting back with your ex-girlfriend after she went hoeing around with 2 other dudes, gained 20 lbs, and had one of their kids. Yes you had some good times, but the relationship was always toxic. Now she realizes how good she had it before so she's come groveling back, but now she's a fatter older version of herself. Time to move on to some younger prospects.
I think you forgot the part where during the breakup, you came into more money, and her brown irises went cha-CHING green.
Imo... James Harden aint leaving no money on the table... he did that last time bc with all the trade demand stuff he had to work that brand image... he aint doin that this go around.. I'd think he knows this is his last big pay day - i'd say its highly doubtful he's a max player 2 years down the road... He's smart, he knows he wants like 4 years at HIS max current value - knowing full well that those last couple years will prob be negative value by the time they roll around... All this return to the Rox talk is based on what? 1) We have max money and can outbid (overpay) for Hardens services - umm no thanks, i dont want to pay more than anybody else is willing to pony up - lol! For a 34-38 yo Harden - pass! 2) He wants to come back to Houston for his 'ties'... ok, whatever... i think he just wants to return to his comfort zone where he's accustomed to getting his a** kissed and already has the strippers on speed dial - but whatever.... So i think he's just using Houston as leverage to get that fat contract outta Morey - or whoever else... (betcha he'd go to LA for top $ -lol) but hell, if Tilly wants to give him some ridiculous sum to be a 4 year hamstring issue - he'll come back n chill in his comfort zone... pull the rip cord, start enjoying retirement early... I just dont see how that scenario plays out in our favor... 1 or 2 year deal... you gotta at least consider it given the talent level...despite the red flags... we got the cap space to play with... 3 or 4 years... thats just a mistake waiting to happen... lol
No..... but I'd except it as a Rockets fan. I just don't see the fit at this point. I don't understand the folks that look at the way Harden runs an offense and are like "I want to replicate that again in Houston".
It's what happens when your franchise player is just on the wrong side of the "Players able to win a championship as a first option" (aside from 2018 but still). Objectively, from a championship or bust mentality, the Rockets would have done just as well as had they traded Harden for a kings ransom in the middle of his prime, but as we can see with the back-to-back-to-back last place finishes in the Western Conference, there's zero garuntee that simply getting rid of the "fat loser bum" improves anything at all, or that we'll ever get a player better than prime James on the Rockets in the near future. The cruel reality of the NBA is that the only way to secure a ring in the NBA is to luck your way into a top 3 player in the world, and have him become the #1 player for a postseason. Harden was always top 5, but never broke that threshold of being the undisputed #1 for a year. It's a big reason why I became a baseball fan more so than a basketball fan over the last half decade, you don't need the best player on earth to win a World Series, you do need the best player on earth to win an NBA Finals.
Harden was easily a top 10-15 player last season and a top 3 playmaker so your analogy is pretty out of sync with reality. If anything, we are the older, fatter person with cash while Harden is the ex that has been just as successful despite being a bit older.
True, the Rockets are not a catch unless they win the lotto tonight. A better comparison might be the Rockets are Forrest Gump and Harden is Jenny coming back after she has aids.
No. This is not the James Harden of six years ago -- this version of Harden is an over-the-hill player who's going to continue to decline but will dominate the ball whenever he's on the court. I don't want this player on my rebuilding young team.
