didn't see that they got 2 first in 2013, thought they gotten shafted after only getting kevin martin and lamb while giving up harden. good deal for OKC.
Houston really got screwed by stern, after not getting gasol they have had to over pay for lin, asik and now possibly harden, depends on how he plays and if he stays with Houston long term. they are also ridden with rookies on a team that already had to many.
I agree with you guys OKC got a pretty good return for Harden. Some 1st's a great young player in J-Lamb and also they got Kevin Martin too whose not to shabby. Plus the fact that Houston knew that OKC wasn't going to keep him they gave up way to much I think. They could've strong armed OKC a bit more.
Also OKC gave up Aldrich freeing up more playing time for PJIII. Really like the deal for OKC.
Houston gets a dynamic SG for the future and Harden finally gets to start. It will be interesting to see how he meshes with Jeremy Lin though.
I can't really justify this move for Houston. Is Harden really THAT much better than Kevin Martin? I would have thought that Martin + Lamb for Harden ALONE would be a good haul for OKC, but the fact that they are getting two 1st rounders...that's unreal.
After the Houston GM did the Reddit AMA a couple weeks ago, I've been trying my best to like the team because the guy was pretty candid with the public. However, the combination of all the Houston moves just don't make sense to me.
Well Harden is above average in every facet of the game. I'm guessing now he'll be the #1 option in Houston so I expect a big year for him offensively. Even as the 6th man on the Thunder he made a case as a top 5 SG in the league and at just 23 he could surpass Kobe and Dwyane very soon.
Well Harden is above average in every facet of the game. I'm guessing now he'll be the #1 option in Houston so I expect a big year for him offensively. Even as the 6th man on the Thunder he made a case as a top 5 SG in the league and at just 23 he could surpass Kobe and Dwyane very soon.
I dunno if that will work. I remember hearing a lot of talk that Harden wasn't an alpha dog sort of personality. He worked in OKC because he had Durant and Westbrook to take all the pressure and expectation off of him, freeing him up to contribute without the burden of being "the guy". And this just wasn't from random reporters speculating. Apparently Harden himself said he liked not having to have the spotlight shining directly on him.
In Houston he is pretty much unquestionably going to be the focal point of that offence, unless everyone directs their focus on Jeremy Lin (which I don't think will last long as Lin comes back down to earth from Linsanity.). I think he can be a very good, valuable piece, but I'm not sure if I see him as the centerpiece of a team.
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So basically, a better Kevin Martin? Kevin Martin was always that shooter that you'd love to have on your team, but not somebody you would want to build around.
I think he could be that alpha dog, heck he was when he was with the Sun Devils. Only person that was more dominant that year in college by his lonesome was Blake Griffin.
So basically, a better Kevin Martin? Kevin Martin was always that shooter that you'd love to have on your team, but not somebody you would want to build around.
I think he could be that alpha dog, heck he was when he was with the Sun Devils. Only person that was more dominant that year in college by his lonesome was Blake Griffin.
Difference is that Kevin Martin can only shoot. He has basically zero value in every other facet of the game. Harden is at least a very well rounded player.
Over the last 10 full seasons (2001-02 through '10-11), 21 teams lost fewer than two preseason games, and 19 of the 21 made the playoffs that year. The lone exceptions were the '03-04 Jazz (who finished ninth at 42-40) and the '10-11 Jazz (who lost Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams mid-season). Hmmmm...
I actually expected them to miss the playoffs, but after the last few weeks, my expectations are higher. I can see them finishing up to 7th. Even if they don't make the playoffs, it will be great to see the growth of the young players here.
Jonas to get the start wednesday night. I've strayed away from the Raps and instead have taken to watching the high profile teams. With that being said I'm cautiously optimistic and very excited to watch them this year.
That drastically swings the balance of talent between us and Indiana, factor in the home crowd on opening night and I think this will be a tight matchup that has a good chance to go our way.
That drastically swings the balance of talent between us and Indiana, factor in the home crowd on opening night and I think this will be a tight matchup that has a good chance to go our way.
I hear Paul George is out too. Definitely looks like a strong chance for a win now.
I am very curious to see how the Celtics will do. I think they are a team on a big time decline, to be honest. Do people still peg them as a contender in the East?
Last edited by Suntouchable13: 10-30-2012 at 05:23 PM.
I am very curious to see how the Celtics can do. I think they are a team on a big time decline, to be honest. Do people still peg them as a contender in the East?
Considering how weak the East is they'll more than likely have home advantage in the postseason.
I am very curious to see how the Celtics will do. I think they are a team on a big time decline, to be honest. Do people still peg them as a contender in the East?
It's gonna be hard for a team to be on a sharp decline when they have Rondo for the foreseeable future. Garnett and Pierce are running out of time, sure, but they have enough pieces in place to remain a competitive team. They won't be a perennial championship contender like they have been without adding some key free agents, but they will be a decent team.
Rondo, Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee, Jeff Green, Kris Joseph, and Avery Bradley form a pretty nice, young group. Not a star filled roster by any means, but like I said...with some key free agent moves (they don't struggle to attract them) or a savvy trade, they could easily bounce back to championship contender in the post-big-3 era.
Like finally seeing the Salvation Army guy with his kettle and jingle bells to signify the holiday season, it's not basketball until we're extolled the virtues of Primo pasta and sowce.
Nash was playing some awful defense today. The whole team looked looked lost but Nash needed a map when guarding Collison. First game so far but this could develop into a storyline.
