The Thunder have reportedly extended Ibaka's contract, signaling bad news for James Harden. |
Reports out of ESPN and elsewhere have Serge Ibaka and the Thunder agreeing on a 4-year/40 something million dollar contract that signals the future direction for Oklahoma City at looks like a bargain price. It also signals a potential departure for James Harden, the fourth and final member of their "core four" (that corny nickname that the Nets came up for their weak best four).
Unfortunately for the Thunder this day had to come at some point. At some juncture they would have to make a decision that might upset one of their four stars. Durant is a scorer unlike any scorer we've ever seen and Westbrook's athleticism is mind-blowing (literally mind-blowing), so obviously those two were going absolutely nowhere. But Harden and Ibaka's futures rested on the extremely technical NBA salary cap and who the Thunder front office valued more. Barring some miracle cap situation, or Harden taking a pay-cut to stay with his boys and win multiple championships, Harden is gone after next year.
I can't say I'm an expert on the NBA salary cap, especially not on the Thunder's financial situation, but I can say that four great-to-potential-HOF players probably cannot co-exist fiscally on any given NBA team. This isn't the MLB. There can't be a New York Yankees. So in that case teams have to work with the all-too-common two or three star system. Getting away from the financial aspect of this situation and returning to the basketball one, the Thunder made the proper decision.
Serge Ibaka is an interesting player. He's 6-foot-10 but has a scary wingspan that makes him a swat machine. We've seen guys like that before, but what separates Ibaka from the rest is his supreme athleticism, quick feet and phenomenal defensive IQ. It was a tossup between him and Tyson Chandler for the Defensive Player of The Year last year, and only the Knicks fan side of my brain can confidently say Chandler was more worthy recipient. Ibaka has transcendent big-man defensive skills, kind of like how LeBron has transcendent skills to guard every position. Here's the catch though, we have no idea what the 22-year-old's offensive ceiling is. He's already worth that cash on defensive prowess alone, but add the fact that his potential on the offensive end is a mystery box and you've got something interesting here. He could remain a nine points a game player, or he could find his niche either in the mid-range game or down in the post, expanding his offensive role and making himself more dynamic of a player. The guy is 22 years old, if he had went to college he'd probably be a rookie. But now he has three years under his belt and is growing with every season. Not to be cliche, but the possibilites are endless.
Now if you juxtapose him with Harden, you have the total other side of the coin. Offense is the name of Harden's game and when he is on, he's in the kind of zone that could burn down the building. Defensively, there isn't much there though. I wouldn't call him a liability on that end, but I also wouldn't call him Andre Iguodala. There's where the difference lies. The Thunder already have two excessively capable scorers in Russ and KD, do they really need a third one? Well yes, of course you always want another scorer who can set a building ablaze, but is he worth more than Ibaka's defensive versatility? Not a chance. Oh and that horrendous Finals last year where Harden averaged only 12.4 points a game on an abysmal shooting percentage? Not going to help either. To make matters worse, the only Thunder win of the series he scored 5 points. 5 points. That is beyond a classic case of "not showing up" it's like not showing up and lying about and then covering up the lie with five more lies. Dissappeared. Vanished. Invsible. Yet, the Thunder still won that game. Yes, it is only one game. But it was one big effin' game. Microcosms are in fact sometimes useful (contrary to popular belief) and this is a perfect one here. It pains me to say this because I really like James Harden but I think he is a bit overrated.
In a league where teams shell out bad contracts like middle schoolers shell out awkwardness, avoiding a major deal for Harden will be a healthy thing for OKC. I could very well see him ending up in a place like Dallas or Atlanta (a team desperate for a star with all their excess cap after they missed out on Dwight or CP3) with a bad contract that he never can shoulder. The shining light for Harden is that he is only 22. But honestly right now I see him as a dime-a-dozen 2-guard. Sort of like the poor man's Joe Johnson, who is the poor man's Kobe. However, all my sneak dissing on Harden shouldn't be taken so harshly. Just because he probably won't live up to some absurd, asinine max contract doesn't mean he won't be a good player. 22 points a game is a great stat. Yet when that's the only true stat you bring to the table? You're not worth max money. Hey, he's sixth man for a reason. Right?
You never know though in this ridiculous league, Harden could take the high road, snatch a "championship-first" discount and have himself one hell of a career in Oklahoma City. Or he can go get an undeserved max contract elsewhere and never fully live up to the hype. What'll it be? Money or Memories?
0 comments:
Post a Comment