I really don't want him back. He's proven himself to be so unreliable when it matters, the dude just has way too many vanishing acts. Been there done that...
James Harden will retire a Houston Rocket and a Champion, why fight it? you know? he gave you some of the best moments of your ugly pathetic lives to be hating on Harden? Maybe look deep into your soul, pray to a higher power, or just understand basketball, James Harden is the best PG in the League and will be for many more years, Bring him home and cleanse your soul!
Are you really THAT concerned with how he performs in a game 7 on the road in round 2 of the playoffs, when we are a 20 win team......? It's like saying you don't trust him to win the daytona 500 when we're still learning how to drive in an empty parking lot
Coming from a guy that literally backs a current player that has literally quit on his team numerous times the past 2 years. I know, I know he’s just a youngster. Never mind that Harden single handed kept this team relevant for years.
He cant score consistently anymore, that much is obvious. He relies solely on his jump shot which is very on and off. When he's off he can't score at all.
Yep, kudos for that, he ain't that guy anymore. Good riddance. Keep that quitter stink off our younger players, and let Ime set the tone without the cancer of James Harden. DD
I agree he is not the Harden of old, but even in that last game, he was setting up his teammates for wide open 3’s the whole game. The whole team sucked that game including the MVP. At least, Harden was trying to get his team to score when he didn’t have it from a shooting perspective. That is exactly what we need for Green, Jabari, and even KPJ to progress.
I'm not talking about last season. I'm talking about the role you described for him on the Rockets. Here: So the game is half defense and half offense. He's a 0 on defense so for half the game he's bleeding points. He's not carrying your scoring next season. He's hitting 3's and setting up the offense. He's one of the best in the NBA at setting up the offense. I understand that but he's not carrying the offense, others are acting as the star player in the scenario you describe (Green/Sengun). That's a role player. A star player does more than 20 above average efficiency points and 10 assists and no defense and no leadership and no clutchness. That's not a star player dude. Might be the best player on our last season team and he might be an ELITE role player (thus comparing well to other role players), but it's still not an NBA star player.
Zero defense for half the game would still be better than what our backcourt did all of last season, which was zero D for most of the games. Besides, Harden would easily be our best (mostly tongue in cheek) post defender. How is 0.607 TS% just average efficiency? Like I said, show me a role player that is doing that. Still waiting.
I don't believe that he is set at 23 years old as a player, IME has a chance to reset how he and the Rox play.... DD
I think there is an argument to be made though (and I'm not entirely sure it's accurate, but it's an argument) that the way that James Harden centric offenses play out, it actually limits the other talent on the court EXCEPT for the rolling big man who often excels in the P&R. Meaning, Harden is going to have the ball in his hands, and when the ball finds you, you are only sitting there wide open because Harden did his thing, and you are basically only a spot up shooter at that point. On paper it's a great shot, but are those shots coming at the expense of non-spot up shooters being cold offensively just standing there to spread the floor??? If you look at what we have that'll be around Harden, I'm not entirely sure that these guys are going to improve only being spot up 3 point shooters even though... yeah it'll be on paper "good shots." .... If I had to create a perfect version of James Harden on this team, I would want him to do much of what Jason Kidd did for the Mavericks at the end of his career, where he was a coach on the floor essentially, but rarely initiated the offense anymore. He was just there to make sure everyone was where they needed to be, make sure the right passes went to Dirk, and co. As well as hit open 3's. My biggest Harden question for the Rockets is can he change the way he plays if we need him to? If there are better focal points to the offense (and God help us if that's NOT the case), does he have the ability to play off the ball? Don't get me wrong, Harden coming back to the Rockets and finishing out his career here would be great, but man.... do I have a TON of questions before feeling confident about how that'll actually play out?
Ok so on defense he is and has always been a zero. If he is on an Udoka team next season, do you think it's possible Udoka will allow a worse starter on the floor than Harden? Is the fact that Harden was better than a backcourt who got 0 pushback for not playing defense meaningful at all? Come on. James Harden is going to be a 0 on defense in the regular season. I've watched him more than anyone here. He's one of my all time favorite players. Don't make it seem like what I'm saying is not the most likely thing. Harden is almost always the worst backcourt player on his team. On the TS% I said it's above average and it is. I'm not trying to discuss with you whether there's a better role player than Harden. I don't know why you're asking for a comparison role player. I know he looks better than all the other role players I can list. You understand that an elite role player will look better than any other role player, so you're going to just look at the comp and talk about how Harden is a better player. But I know he's the better player. That's not the problem. I was replying to your message saying you just need him set up the offense and teach it. That's a role player, even if elite. You are putting him in a role player role with that statement. However, there are no elite role players worth $43m/season unless maybe you're already over the cap and are a WCF-calibre team, then maybe you can swallow that salary. Here's one for you: show me who in history got 20 points and 10 assists and no defense and no playoff leadership and not elite in the clutch and is worth even $43m.
Will Udoka play Harden over a lesser starter with better D? Absolutely. I honestly don't care too much about his defense. I don't want Harden for his D, I want him for his knowledge on O and playmaking. 0.607 is not above average efficiency, it's very good efficiency. A role player cannot setup or control an offense by themselves. Why should I have to show you anything? You are the one asserting he is a role player, not me. That said, Luka fits in perfectly with your statement.
Harden’s offense didn’t hold back CP3 in 17-18, KD, Kyrie, Westbrook, Maxey, and many more who aren’t just lob catching bigs or PJ Tucker/Ariza spot up shooters James Harden turning guys into spot up shooters is nothing more than a myth if u have skill on offense, u can eat playing next to James Harden, and if u don’t have skill, u can still be serviceable on the court because Harden will create good shots for u
As SAS said how can HOU or any organization want to sign this guy to a max after that performance yesterday? Then there where reports he was laughing in the locker room. Yea he gonna teach our youngsters how to have NO HEART. Might as well bought Vogel in if they bring back Harden. A hardcase coach/ a laxi-daisy star impressionable youth sounds like a good mix Houston....
