They'll all get their redemption when Lamb posts 30ppg,8rpg,8apg,2spg per game on 50/40/90 shooting next season. Presti is just waiting to shop KD and Russ for pieces to complement Lamb.
Reading some of these posts are hilarious in hindsight. Seriously. This one trade completely altered our franchise so far and for years to come.
It would be the icing on the cake if Houston won an NBA championship before the Thunder with Harden leading the way. Presti should retire into exile and KD should demand a trade here and bring along Ibaka.
I don't see how anyone could have voted no at the time. The only reason to not like the Harden trade back in 2012(and I'm really reaching with this) is that it would keep the Rockets hovering around .500 yet again instead of being the surefire crappy lottery team with tons of ping pong balls they were on pace to be before landing him. I was fully onboard with the Rockets tanking that season, but obviously that changed once a potential superstar like Harden fell into their laps.
I've been dreaming about that scenario since last season when Dwight came here. It's not crazy to think that's possible though. The Thunder will make the playoffs(barring further injury), but that bad start could cost them home court which may impact how far they go. And that puts a ton of pressure on the organization next year to win it all(or at least come very close) since Durant is a free agent in 2016(and Westbrook a year after that). Now that doesn't mean the Rockets will win a title just because OKC doesn't, but at least it's no longer a pipe dream to imagine it.
The 955 people who didn't like this trade don't know much about basketball...This was probably the greatest trade in franchise history...
I was excited about the trade at the time, but I can at least understand how people would have concerns. In OKC, Harden was coming off the bench and was the third option. Would he be worth a max deal? Could he handle being the number 1 option with all of the defense keying on him? Would he be able to maintain his production with increased playing time and responsibility? Luckily, Harden answered all the questions that we might have had about him with a resounding "Hell yes!"
Those are fair questions. I thought we were getting an All-Star talent with superstar potential. I did worry that having such a young, inexperienced roster that first season(Parsons, Asik, Lin) would put too much pressure on him, but obviously the Rockets weren't gunning for a title in 2012-13. Just making the playoffs was good enough, which is what they wound up doing(barely). And at the time maybe 16 mil a season seemed like overpaying, but now that Parsons is making almost that much, it looks like a bargain.
James Harden has proven to be one of the best acquisitions this team has ever made! I remember when i first received the notification that this trade was made how happy i was! We finally landed the coveted star player who we so desperately desired. While I knew he was a great player and had potential to be a star, i didn't think he was on his way to being a top 3 player in the league (IMO). Harden has already out performed my expectations, and has brought the Rockets back to relevancy! Watching him bloom into the superstar he is today is something a lot of us probably take for granted. When it's all said and done I won't be surprised if Harden's name is mentioned along with the Jordan's and Kobe's of the world. He's that good!! Cheers!! p.s. Thank you Morey :grin:
