The “give me Harden over FVV” takes are embarrassing

Horrible loss and having Harden would've been a difference maker indeed, but the fact is that building an offense around a 1 of 1 type player with a very particular style who is aging and not going to win you a championship is still not the right decision. Green wet the bed big time. Thompson definitely showed offensive jitters. We'll find out more about these guys this series without Harden than we would've with and we'll keep building our team to compete for multiple championships. 0 regrets on my part.

 

Back when the Rockets still was connected to Harden, I thought that Harden would make our bigs (Jabari and Sengun) better but would likely be a negative to Jalen. And when the Rockets later decided to bringing in FVV, I thought they were counting on Jalen to succeed and in turn he would develop into the next star perimeter player and make our bigs better and all that. At the time it wasn't clear Sengun would be an All-Star caliber player, so I thought the decision made sense because it felt like banking on Jalen was the correct decision.

In hindsight, both the Rockets and myself at the time were just flat out wrong. Unless Jalen defies all expectations and turn into a superstar for the rest of the playoffs, it's clear the Rockets should've prioritized Sengun and Jabari's development at that time and signed Harden. Yes, he would've marginalized Jalen as the primary scorer, but in hindsight at least Jalen would've not had to put up bad shots all the time due to being in a bad offense.

 

A lot of us been saying for a while we should’ve just signed James Harden when he was available. We would’ve been in great position to add another star and keep a lot of our young guys. Harden, KD, Alpi, Amen, Jabari, Reed, Cam would’ve been a contending core, even if it was for a season or two.

Signing Fred was a mistake, now it’s time to pivot. He doesn't move the ball around to the get his teammates involved. It’s the same thing he did in Toronto.

 

Beard on this team we would be serious contenders.

 

I think the presence of Harden would’ve had a major positive effect on Jalen…he’s getting all the opportunity in the world to be a primary scorer and take a bunch of shots, and can only manage 21 ppg on bad efficiency

Harden could teach him how to read defenders and create space…teach him how to draw fouls (even guys like Austin Reaves have said that they studied tape on James Harden…imagine getting to study him up close and personal on a daily basis)

he helped Tyrese Maxey a ton

Jalen could’ve easily been averaging the same amount of points he’s been doing, but on better efficiency

Reed Sheppard would’ve benefited a ton too

we could’ve had a Michelin-Star chef teaching our guys, and instead we’ve got a Golden Corral cook in FVV

 

Fred serving up buffet-style bricks.

All you can eat.

 

But he “knows what it takes to win”

 

Harden has a player option for next year at $36M, and he hasn't opted in yet.

The Rockets have a team option for next year on FVV at $45M and they haven't picked it up yet.

After seeing how Harden sacrificed his game this year for the good of the team, I wouldn't mind them dumping FVV and signing Harden in his place, assuming you could get him on a 1 or 2 year deal for roughly what you'd be paying Fred. Sure, he doesn't fit our timeline, but he fills a greater need than Booker, et al.

 

You Harden lovers, lol. You are so cute. You must have a Harden plushie toy, huh, that you squeeze every night?

Since you like children's stories:
Let it go. Let it go. Can't hold it back anymore. The cold never bothered me anyway!

Harden v2025 wasn't an option in 2023. lol. And he's not an option in 2026 either.

This team needs Jalen and Seguin to step up. Four years from now, you still be blaming FVV? lol.

 

I still blame JLin nearly a decade later.

 

The amount of a love a career Raptor, one-time all-star, disappointing playoff performer gets on the Houston Rockets board makes me wonder if there are a lot of Toronto fans who have nothing better to do than troll other team forums.

 

I passed on the Harden signing initially but man if it meant not seeing FVV I’m all for it now

 

Stone need to offer Josh Kiddy a poison pill contract. Make Chicago either match or get a permanent fixture in PG. He's the best available PG in the off-season that fits our timeline. I would go for Kyrie but dude is coming off a major injury and he may or may not be a headcase. Harden is available too but Ime doesn't like him so he definitely ain't coming here.

Jalen needs to be packaged with picks plus filler to be traded for Booker or just any scoring guard. There are plenty of these guys in the league, it's finding a PG that is actually hard.

I watched a ton of Bulls game this season, Giddey has completely turned his career around. He should be in the run for MIP. His biggest weakness before which was 3pt shooting, he's improved immensely. He's also a pass-first point guard which is extremely rare in this league and something we desperately need. I think he just struggled in OKC because SGA was taking away all his ball handling touches. He would be a perfect fit for us. He's also 6'7 to boot and after this year, I'm sick of watching midget PGs.

We want our PG taking OPEN 3s not just jacking them up and bricking them like FVV.

Josh is currently seeking a 30M/year deal and that's a ****ing bargain compared to what we're paying FVV for.

 

I still think Fred was what we needed last year and he helped a lot. This yr has been a complete disaster. He looks washed; he’s declining. Harden is playing at all star level, Fred isn’t even playing at starter level. We can debate what the team needed last yr to change the sh#t culture we had, but it’s not a debate that we would be better this year with Harden. That’s not a debate.

I respect Harden and his time as a rocket; I’m not some Harden super fan. I’m pragmatic and I want us to win. We badly need shooting and ball handling in the backcourt. A point guard that could get to the rim or draw a foul from time to time would be a bonus. Harden can come in and give us elite backcourt play and shooting, hand off the reigns and retire a rocket. I think it needs to be a strong consideration this offseason.

 

Out of curiousity
What do you expect from FVV next year? What kind of contract would YOU offer him?

Rocket River

 

It doesn't have to be Harden, but if the Rockets can't get past GS in these Playoffs they need to upgrade from FVV.

I'm giving Jalen one more year. He gets a pass for being young even though he has been so consistently inconsistent. But Rockets have to start prioritizing Jabari, Sengun and Amen offensively over Jalen.

Only way I see Harden as an option is if they lose to the Nuggets in the 1st round as well.

 

If they lose to the nuggets and the Clippers decide on a full rebuild . . . maybe
but i don't see it happening

Rocket River

 

I don't hear ANY FVV love, at least not in a long time. Literally none (other than the OP). What you may be interpreting as FVV love are the people that were justifying the signing back in 2023.

If in 2023, you predicted the Rockets would be contenders in 2025 and needed to shift into "win now" mode hence why they'd be better off with Harden sounds like a case of moved goal posts.

At the time, very few people argued this hard against the FVV signing. He was always viewed as a temporary measure. Now that the Rockets are good, suddenly history gets re-written and missing out on the injury prone Harden was a tragic mistake.

 

I'd probably see how far under 20mm you can get him. Can they re-sign him for 10mm? That's probably a stretch. But they clearly need to find a more dynamic PG that is more reliable from 3. The hope was Reed would fill that but that feels premature. Maybe they can resign FVV for 10-15mm for one more season until you know what you've got with Reed?
Or go out there and pick up a new starting PG. Easier said than done.

But honestly, if FVV doesn't turn this around in this post season, it might be time to let him walk. Maybe his rep might be too far gone. lol.

What about you?

 

I would be gobsmacked if the Rockets pick up his team option, best case scenario he will be a backup PG and Rockets look to trade JG for a replacement PG