[RealGM.com] Cutting Up The Revisionist History Of The James Harden Trade

fixed

 

I don't agree with some of the opinions in the article.

Harden would have been an All-Star at some point if he stayed with OKC. If OKC won ~40 games by all star break with Harden continuing his super-sub play (averaging 17/5/4 on 49/40/85 shooting), there's no reason to believe he wouldn't be an Allstar. We've seen Manu in Allstar games as a sub to very good Spurs teams. Probably wouldn't be a 1st Team All-NBA, but he might be able to pull of some 2nd or 3rd teams.

In my opinion, OKC would have done so much better by trading away Westbrook and keeping Harden. Model their team after the Heat by having their key star players at SG (Harden/Wade), SF (Durant/Lebron) and PF-C (Ibaka/Bosh). Theoretically, the OKC Big 3 of Harden/KD/Ibaka has more synergy than Miami's big three since Harden is a much better shooter and as good driver as Wade. Plus, it's much easier to find a capable replacement at point guard these days who can be a 3 and D type player than an All-NBA SG. Say, Patrick Beverley?

Bottom line is that OKC messed this up, and badly. They assumed Harden would be okay with taking less money and a lesser role, when he was clearly projecting to be a star, if he wasn't one already. They got cheap instead of amnesting Perkins. They ruined their once in a generation shot at creating a dynasty. That OKC team was poised to make Finals/Championship runs for the next decade, easily.

 

"It’s easy to forget now, but there were plenty of people criticizing the Rockets for their decision to max out Harden"

This is true as any reader of CF can testify. What's even worse, the forum has people who want to trade Harden. Talk about poor judges of NBA talent.

 

I remember bill Simmons saying the thunder trading harden was one of the worst trades in nba history. He then called okc a mom and pap organization who are to scared to go into the luxury tax

 

Absolutely. They misjudged his talent and got stupidly cheap.

 

OKC could have kept Harden and traded WestBrick for Dwight and they would be 7 peating.

 

Good read, but still a horrible trade by OKC. Especially when considering what they nearly got from Washington. As others have said, Westbrook should've been the guy traded.

They likely could've gotten ANY player they wanted outside of guys like Lebron, Paul, etc. But including DH who was traded to LA two months earlier and even the #1 pick in the draft that year, Anthony Davis. And maybe even snagged a couple of other pieces like Robin Lopez and Ryan Anderson.

What could've been...

 

Great story, thanks for sharing.

 

Good read from RealGM.

The league is full of "would have should have" situations.
Morey did a great job getting Harden, he just needs to find the best group to surround him for success.

 

Steven Adams is like a top 5 center in the NBA today. I don't think that was a bad return at all considering the Rox to this day don't have that extra 7ft big that can back up Howard since Dmo mainly plays the 4. And who knows what kind of player Jeremy Lamb will turn out to be.

 

Thunder will never recover. Next shoe dropping is losing Durant in 2016. After that happens, does anyone think Westbrook re-ups in 2017? Ha, nope, me neither. I might feel a wee bit of pity for them if not for the fact the owner pulled a Colts.

 

I know this is all hindsight now but I know I wasn't the only that thought, "that's all we traded for Harden?" Even if he was just a 6th man and not a proven starter back then.

 

Yeah and Harden isn't as good now as he was just a few months ago. He used to iso really bad and didn't have any vision for passing in the crucial 4th. Most of this board would've traded Harden for Westbrook straight up.... In hindsight Westbrook is more similar to D. Wade in talent and physical proportions than Harden. Westbrook is still more of a 2 and will probably be up listed to 6'4 or 6'5 which he really is once he joins a new team.

 

I mean Harden is better now than he was a few months ago....

 

Steven Adams top 5 center? Lol

We know now as bas as waiters is, he's miles better than what lamb can be

 

Harden always had the vision and a willing passer. He just didn't have anyone to pass to.

In terms of court vision and willing passer

Harden>>>dwade>>>>>westbrook

 

Not sure if you can get a lot of people to agree with that. Just in our division alone... DH, Asik, Gasol, Chandler and Duncan(if playing C). I personally would take anyone of those before Adams. He is good but not quite there yet.

 

The reason why at the time the trade was not considered the heist of the century the way it's judged now, is simply because for the most part, no one cares to look below the surface.

MANY, MANY indicators had Harden as clearly an up and coming superstar as a Thunder. His PER had him near Melo. RAPM showed top 20 value. There was an article in ESPN which noted that Harden was even more effective when he wasn't playing with Westbrook Durant. His efficiency numbers were off the charts in OKC. His ability to get to the basket in iso situations were well noted.

Literally, go back and read about his game at OKC, and it's a more efficient version of his current self. The guy was nearly 50/40/90 for christ sakes.

The only arguments against him reeked of cliches without actually examing his game. Like "failed in the finals" or "a bench player" or "can't play without stars." None of which really had any substance.

 

Suck it OKC. They were too busy coddling their 2 stars instead of going to them and asking them to take a smaller role for the greater good. They were not about do do that "we supastahhhrs".

As I said suck it OKC. You have to find a way to make that work and fill in around them and put them in the best position to win.

OKC could have 3 peated twice on the hi side and or ended up with multiple titles in a 10 yr run.

With RW's hot headed/thug-like persona- he would not sacrifice for the greater good.

Glad we have Harden and to those here that would trade him, to those other teams that showed no interest in him suck it.

In closing, I would like to say "suck it" OKC

Ps, suck it OKC

 

I agree that you can't have all three perimeter guys needing the ball in their hands. So they have to trade one of them. But they traded the wrong guy. They should have traded Westbrook because he had a higher trade value. Besides, Harden had already shown that while he might not be as dynamic a scorer at that time, he was a better playmaker than Westbrook. A playmaker fits better with Durant than a scorer.

So at the end of the day, they still misjudged Harden's talent.