Do they trade Harden and Westbrook and start over? Do they fire MDA? Run it back with Harden and Westbrook as the main guys? How do you think they will go forward?
I think tearing ethical and moral dogma asunder they splice Hardens genes with Lebron's dna in a case of if you can't beat them join with them. He will look something like this. Also I said in gametime today that I can see D'Antoni heading towards the Suns if any troubles over there start up (though they were the uncrowned bubble Kings pre-playoffs).
covered this in other threads, but i think they're locked into harden/westbrook/gordon. and they basically have two tradeable assests in tucker and covington. i suppose they can roll gordon in with those two and take on a risky high-salaried player (think like a john wall or al horford or paul millsap). this would be very on-brand for them. obviously, MDA is already gone (i think he was planning to leave no matter what, and that they were planning not to retain him unless they won a title). so they'll hire cassell or jvg, but a coach isn't their issue. they have some roster deficiencies to attend to. all that said, they could hire alvin gentry, run it exactly back, and probably still make the playoffs, maybe with HCA just because the gimmick works so well in the regular season.
they can trade Russ, theyll get mostly meh pieces back cause only team that'll take him and that salary are those bottom dwelling eastern team that need star power to sell tkts. I dont think theyll trade Harde unless he request to be traded
i see the theory on westbrook being moved, but...who's going to give up matching salary without just unloading an albatross on you. is washington going to trade wall for westbrook? does that actually solve anything for either team? batum and rozier from charlotte? do they even do that?
Morey did a lot of trades and one bad move was trading away their only rim protector in Clint. Mike tried pulling that old Phx charm again and he came up short again. He tucks his tail and decides not to resign with them. Now they 76 mill tied into Russ and James... No draft picks.. Oh yea 14 mill for Eric and 16.8 mill, 19.5 mill and 20.9 his final contract year. They have very little to offer in a trade.. sooo, they start off with a prayer
I am not denying that Harden and Westbrook don't have flaws in their games because they have many. But they both strike me as players who expend so much energy over the regularl season, and look so fatigue when the playoffs come around. Westbrook can't simply 'slow it down,' because his speed and athleticism is main, and possibly only, weapon (we all know he does not shoot the ball well). Harden can be a bit too passive in the bigger moments, and while loved by the officials in the regular season, is he seriously going to get all those calls against Curry and LeBron in the playoffs? Hell no. In a way, I am glad they have lost because it is a loss for what they were threatening to do with the league. I must admit, it took me so long to even except what the Warriors were doing to the game with their long range three pointers, and I found Houston even scarier again. Fortunately, this season has left me with some optimism for the big man in the game: Jokic is an amazing passer of the ball and a fairly good shooter too; AD is the best shooting and most versatile big in the game etc. Plus, when the chips are on the line, titles are still won by names like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. There is another guy I was going to say, but I just need to find him first...
i've never seen the warriors as similar to dantoni or houston. the warriors constructed a ball movement offense around two historically great shooters. houston/dantoni just chuck a bunch of threes regardless of personnel, and run single-player ball-dominant offense. yuck.
The Warriors aren't afraid to take the two when there is an opening in the paint. I personally think Curry is overrated, though. When was the last time he had an amazing Finals series?
I don't think Westbrook and Harden have ever been held to account over their games. D'Antoni ball helps Harden get big numbers, and people just overlook all his flaws. Westbrook is pretty damn entertaining putting up monster triple double stat lines, but he was a poor shooter before the 3 point revolution, and is only marginally better now. Plus OKC's owner had a man crush on him, rather than Durant... so the rest is history. Yet somewhere in the Rockets brain trust, or lack thereof, they thought putting the two together would just work out.
Blame Harden, he didn't like CP2 probably calling him out in the locker room at times for attitude or propensity for not making good team plays .... ? Don't know. Anyone remember what those two butted heads over?
they kept it fairly quiet, but i'm pretty sure it was paul wanting the team to play winning basketball, and that not jiving with harden's pursuit of stats and disinterest in doing things other than handle and shoot. every year, you can count on harden and his teammates saying in post-game press conferences "i don't know why we can't just play with more passion and execute our gameplans" and i'm like...uh...NONE of you see why? paul came in and led that team. and they were much better when he did. but harden's ego couldn't handle it.
Changed my view of Chris Paul as of late and I'm liking what I'm seeing from him in a basketball sense, maybe Rondo (literally) knocked some sense into him perhaps? Makes me mad remembering the Stern-veto again, and who knows what could've been had he and Kobe teamed-up.
i've always thought paul was actually UNDER-rated as a player. i've never cared for his antics on the court (heliflopter, nutpunching, etc.), but i've never doubted his abilities and leadership. we'd have won one with him and kobe. that veto just burns me to this day.
