What? That doesnt make any sense. Davis got swept by the Warriors as an 8th seed. And then lost in 5 games to them, one of which was without Curry. And as far as I know, we have had the MOST success agaisnt them. And your answer is to trade Harden for AD, cmon that aint happening. Harden has 3-4 great years of ball left. And Im not gonna bank on AD reaching his prime(growth is not linear). Davis does not give you 3/4's of Harden's offense, what? Hes an awesome defensive player, but if he were such a capable defender than the Pelicans would be better defensive team than they have been the past couple of years. Cp an AD are not beating the Warriors. AD has played with Holiday. I dont even know if CP that much of an improvement over holiday at this stage. I love love love CP, but if you think that team is beating the Warriors than this discussion is over. Yes it is, that team is not winning a championship for the next 4-5 years. What very good player are you referring to? i mean, im sorry but I fail to see how im sipping the Koolaid here. Not to mention, player abiliites aside I would never trade the dude who was the face of our franchise like that. That is a dirty and disloyal.
AD doesn’t make the playoffs HOU is not a place that’s on AD’s radar, so after a few years of mediocrity, he’ll be looking to force his way out and head to where he really wants to be which is LA or NY this thread is dumb to begin with in the 1st place because there is no scenario where AD is committing here long-term with no Harden...it’s too unrealistic to even take seriously What’s next, a thread about KD coming here this summer?
Loyalty is great in fans. GM Loyalty to players as they age out of their primes is how teams crash. Other that that, it doesn’t seem to make sense to continue this debate. It’s been fun.
Harden is 30, dudes win MVPs at 30. His decline isn’t gonna happen for at least 3 years. Morey isn’t gonna do it.
Because one draft pick who doesn't pan out proves your point, right? There's plenty of examples the other direction too.
Oh absolutely, this trade is never going to happen. But if Houston had the opportunity, I think they would.
No, it's a guards league. Evidenced by Clint Capela earning a huge contract with no jumpshot and the inability to create his own shots. He can thank Chris and James for that. AD is a great piece as a 2nd fiddle to stretch the floor, but no power forward in today's NBA is going to win a championship for a team.
What do you think my point was? That pre-draft predictions don't always pan out? If so, that was my point. Sam Bowie says "hi". Need more? And I wouldn't trade a superstar in his prime for the hopes of a college superstar turning into a better NBA superstar.
See my previous response - there are plenty of examples both ways (i.e. where trading a star veteran for a draft pick/rookie is the right call). Also, just talking about the "hopes of a college superstar turning into a better NBA superstar" misses the point. If Zion pans out, the upside is 10-15 years of a star player vs however many years Harden has left as a top player. Not to mention in a salary cap league, three or four of those years are at a VERY team friendly salary number. Trades aren't about "is x better than y today?". They're about "Does this trade and ALL its impacts help me build a team now and in the future?" You're answering the first question, not the second. Sure, it's a hard decision and a gamble either way. And obviously not a popular suggestion here where sentiment for Harden clearly runs strong, as it should. But it's certainly not as clear cut as you make it sound.
I get your point, but you have to risk adjust Zion's value. Let's agree to disagree, but I would rather have a few more years of Harden's prime then the chance that Zion helps us more down the line. Also, you would have to factor in the value of potentially tanking when Harden is over and having a shot then at whoever is then considered the best candidate in the draft.
^ This. You know it’s the off-season when this sort of thread floats at or near the top of the barrel every day for days on end.
Do you really need me to explain all the things he does better? I can do so, and you will still assert that it doesn’t outweigh the stuff Harden does better. So this won’t go anywhere, and in any case it’s a waste of time because Davis’s injury propensity makes him a less valuable player anyway in my estimation.
Davis is a better rebounder, shot blocker, interior scorer. Harden is a better perimeter scorer, better overall scorer, better facilitator. Davis can score but cant really shoulder the offensive load and carry his team's offense, especially in the fourth. And this shows in the records and performances of a team led by Davis vs a team led by Harden over the years. Especially damning considering how weak the league is in this era when it comes to bigs. He should be completely dominating. What exactly did Davis do against the Warriors in the playoffs last season that makes him a superior player? He went out 1-4. Davis led teams have underachieved. I really dont see where you are coming with Davis being a superior player.
