So the Thunder basically chose between Ibaka and Harden

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

If I was the Thunder I would have traded for a player that can be a low post threat.

This is what they need to do. This is what the FO should be criticized for, if they don't make a move in the immediate future.

 

[tremonthustler1]

If I was the Thunder I would have traded for a player that can be a low post threat. Ibaka plays good defense but he is not the low post threat that would give the Thunder balance on offense. They should have went after Lamarcus Aldridge.

But they should have used their amnesty clause on Perkins.

And Portland was gonna deal LMA within the division because?

Using the amnesty wouldn't have made much of a difference since

a) they'd still be paying Perkins

b) now your frontcourt is Ibaka and... Orton? Aldrich? Nazr Mohammed? Collison maybe and then there's nothing behind any of your bigs. What makes it worse is that there's no way to really afford to replace it either because you'd have a max PG, a max SF, and a max 6th man

I'm glad it's working out for them but there's only one solution to all of this:

sign Harden, and take the financial hit necessary to try to win, oh yeah, and use Harden completely differently.

 

[mastermind]

yeah they OG offered him 52.5m, Pelinka threw that back and asked for 60, thunder offered 55.5 and they said they would think it over..... a hour later...

Yeah the Perkins shyt did handicap them, however if they did sign Harden to what he wanted.... they'd still be in the repeater's tax.... so ultimately it doesn't make that much of a difference... as they want to avoid that at all costs.

but yeah you're right they didn't choose Ibaka over Harden. they gave Ibaka 48.... they were always going to offer Harden more.

and like @No_bammer_weed said, if you arent willing to pay that much to keep a championship team together, then you may as well sell your team because you have no business telling your fans you are trying to win tings when you are clearly not.

Even tho Harden shat the bed, a perimeter of Russy, Harden, and Durant is :wowjb:

Would need a low post player, but having those 3 under contract for 4 years would have been some shyt to see.


At the end of the day, we really dont know if Harden would have realized his potential in OKC.

 

[Redguard]

And Portland was gonna deal LMA within the division because?

Using the amnesty wouldn't have made much of a difference since

a) they'd still be paying Perkins

b) now your frontcourt is Ibaka and... Orton? Aldrich? Nazr Mohammed? Collison maybe and then there's nothing behind any of your bigs. What makes it worse is that there's no way to really afford to replace it either because you'd have a max PG, a max SF, and a max 6th man

There have been worse trades made before but yeah for the trade to work a third or fourth team would have to be involved. Anyway if the Thunder think they can ride Westbrook and Durant to a title without any consistent inside scoring they are delusional.

I think the big problem is the ownership group doesn't want to be deep in the luxury tax.

 

[tremonthustler1]

There have been worse trades made before but yeah for the trade to work a third or fourth team would have to be involved. Anyway if the Thunder think they can ride Westbrook and Durant to a title without any consistent inside scoring they are delusional.

I think the big problem is the ownership group doesn't want to be deep in the luxury tax.

while a Westbrook /Durant /Harden trio was ridiculous, it's tried and true. You win with really good to great bigs.

It's a trade that benefits Houston and Harden. If Harden stayed and had another inconsistent series, we'd all be wondering what Harden gets paid so much to do.

Again, I'm glad it has worked out the way it has.

 

[mastermind]

You win with really good to great bigs.
.

Perkins

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

and like @No_bammer_weed said, if you arent willing to pay that much to keep a championship team together, then you may as well sell your team because you have no business telling your fans you are trying to win tings when you are clearly not.

They're a business first and foremost. I've said before, the ratio of risk/reward isn't enough to sign a THIRD wing player to a $60m/4 year contract. Especially how Harden won't be content with the minimum offensive load out of the three. Someone that wants a max contract, isn't the type of player that has the mentality of playing third fiddle. And I mean he wasn't happy there in their last playoff run with how little touches he got, his frustration would have only increased as the seasons went on. Especially if they failed to win a championship the following year. OKC isn't big enough for ALL three of them.

Regardless of what they were going to pay Harden - he was going to be starting on the bench.

Even tho Harden shat the bed, a perimeter of Russy, Harden, and Durant is

Would need a low post player, but having those 3 under contract for 4 years would have been some shyt to see.

No doubt, but there's no balance whatsoever with a team that would handle the ball 70-80% of the game, on the perimeter.

At the end of the day, we really dont know if Harden would have realized his potential in OKC.

That's why he was always going to leave. OKC always viewed Durant/Westbrook as their franchise guys. He wouldn't be content with being their sidekick for much longer, especially if they didn't win a ship, immediately.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

while a Westbrook /Durant /Harden trio was ridiculous, it's tried and true. You win with really good to great bigs.

It's a trade that benefits Houston and Harden. If Harden stayed and had another inconsistent series, we'd all be wondering what Harden gets paid so much to do.

Again, I'm glad it has worked out the way it has.

tre, why is it so hard for folk to see this? I wanna know. Because it seems like I'm in the 5% that has the same opinion on this board.

 

[tremonthustler1]

Perkins

I didn't say Perkins. But if there's a flaw to this deal, it was dealing Harden for pieces that could replace a 6th man instead of replacing Perkins and getting that good to great big. In the grand scheme of things, replacing Harden for OKC wasn't gonna be that hard.

 

[Yung Yogurt]

I ain't tryna b gay but who wouldn't take Ibaka, did u see his print in them sweatpants

 

[Skilltastrophy]

while a Westbrook /Durant /Harden trio was ridiculous, it's tried and true. You win with really good to great bigs.

It's a trade that benefits Houston and Harden. If Harden stayed and had another inconsistent series, we'd all be wondering what Harden gets paid so much to do.

Again, I'm glad it has worked out the way it has.

that's all fine...but the Thunder did absolutely nothing to get a good to great big man with the space they cleared and assets they received...so it still looks like a dumb trade to me

 

[fscballin]

May God guide James Harden to Islam. He is letting his beard grow.

Muslims stealing from Hebrew Israelite culture is nothing new

 

[ThugLife]

So basically you're just a pansy that likes to indiscriminately pop sht for no reason, and use this place as a repository to argue like a scorned hoe, rather than present counter arguments. I dont give a flying fukk about how many times you've "covered" something. Bytch nikka I dont live on this site like you, so you missed me with that bullsht. Either challenge my idea or shut the fukk up. Fukk you doin in a thread you supposedly have no interest in?

my nikka how u got another picture with the exact same pose and clothes

 

[kingofnyc]

May God guide James Harden to Islam. He is letting his beard grow.

aint happening
dat H-town puss iz too powerful

​

 

[Swagnificent]

aint happening
dat H-town puss iz too powerful

​

what I was about to say

Harden loves them big booty hoes too much to live the pious life