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| Harden may have gotten paid with his max-contract deal from the Rockets, but skies are a little bit more gray in his basketball world. |
The Thunder were supposed to once again contend for the NBA Championship this year. Supposedly they were going to make that final step, climb the final rung of what has been a three year ladder. No one was sure if they would actually beat the defending Champs or reinvigorated Lakers, but we knew they had the talent do. But then they made a decision that could haunt trigger-happy, yet usually successful GM, Sam Presti, a decision that makes them a less formidable contender. But the biggest casualty of this trade is James Harden.
I like Harden. I like him a lot. He plays an exciting style of basketball, is immensely talented offensively and is a enjoyably outspoken player. Including the fact he was a glue guy in the highly cohesive Big Four that Oklahoma City was fostering for the past few years and it's hard to not enjoy him as a ball player. But as good as Harden is and no matter how high of a ceiling he may have, he was the most expendable out of those four. Not a once-in-a-lifetime talent like Durant, nor a game-changing athlete like Westbrook or a freakishly good defender like Ibaka, Harden's game was the most replaceable. And now he's replaced.
It seemingly happened as if the Thunder just shipped him out once it was reported that he wanted three days to think over the 4 yr/$55.5 mil they had just offered. I guess Sam Presti doesn't wait around, instead salivating over what could end up being a phenomenal deal. Or a complete dud. Kevin Martin has been touted as a more-than-serviceable player, though his numbers doesn't exactly scream that. Jeremy Lamb is a highly talented rookie, but he's just a rookie and didn't really pick up the slack left in the wake of Kemba Walker's pro declaration. The two first round picks have the best chance to really be a long-term pick up for the Thunder because they draft so damn well (or just get lucky, i.e. Perry Jones III with the 28th pick).
For Harden, his career has taken a harsh turn. Going to Houston means that he'll be a starter and the best player on the team, but is he really built to carry the load of a entire team? I don't think so. And this season should be a major wake up call because he's going to playing under immense pressure with really no one to back him up out there. Jeremy Lin? He'll be no better than a 18-point, seven-assist player, but that's it. Rookie Royce White can do a little bit of everything, but has hard time putting the ball in the basket. Omer Asik? Overpaid. Teams will double team Harden and make life a living hell for him because he's the only super talent they have. It's an unfortunate basketball lifestyle change that he really had no power over. Do you really think he was going to pull the trigger immediately on what was the first major deal of his lifetime? You cannot blame him for reportedly asking for more time. And you cannot fault the Rockets for trying to get something legitimate out of those three first-round picks they traded for last year.
A lot of people around the basketball world have been shocked and stunned by this deal, but it really doesn't surprise me at all. I wrote that the Thunder would probably ship Harden somewhere once they signed Ibaka to that contract extension, well the time is now. I think it's the right move, they weren't going have the financial flexibility to sign any serviceable pieces outside of their big four. I mean does he deserve that contract considering his horrendous play in the Finals last year? But even more important than that is, how content would Harden be coming off the bench for four more years. Yeah, you can accept the Sixth Man but how can a player as talented as him play fourth fiddle for that long? Well, that's what happens when you play for the best talent scout in the league, Sam Presti.
This deal can't really be judged in year one for the Thunder, but it definitely can be judged in year one for Harden. Can he prove to us that he is a first-team talent or he will reaffirm our notion that he is a B-list All-Star and never can the Batman to anyone's Robin. Either way Harden isn't better off today than he was two days ago.
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