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The James Harden Appreciation Thread

fightinfunbags

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Maxey has really stepped it up this year and I actually think the offense runs better with him at the helm and Curry's shooting was a great fit with him.
You haven't watched the non-Harden minutes then in the Toronto or Miami series. Without Harden on the floor, their sets look like ass. Maxey isn't a PG. He's a combo guard. Additionally, playing off Harden has been a boost to Maxey's game.
 

trojanfan12

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OK, let me rephrase....good luck convincing Harden that he should sign for less than $250M

I believe #1 is the 95% option, with #3 at 5%. I don't see any way Harden chooses to go from $47m per to $25-30M per without first taking that $47M and taking his chances in free agency (or forcing yet another trade). Not for a second round exit team.

His situation is very similar to Westbrooks. A quickly declining future H.O.F. player who is in a steep decline and isn't worth the money he's going to get if he opts in and isn't getting anything close to it on his next deal.

The difference being that, at least Westbrook is going to play his ass off every night to at least try and earn his money.
 

shopson67

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Then there is no new contract for him from the Sixers.

That would be the smarter move than getting tied long term to that sinking ship IMO, even at a reduced rate. That Simmons trade is looking pretty painful at this point. Sixers should look to trade him as soon as he picks up that option...
 

shopson67

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His situation is very similar to Westbrooks. A quickly declining future H.O.F. player who is in a steep decline and isn't worth the money he's going to get if he opts in and isn't getting anything close to it on his next deal.

The difference being that, at least Westbrook is going to play his ass off every night to at least try and earn his money.

...and Harden still has more game left (for now)
 

fightinfunbags

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That would be the smarter move than getting tied long term to that sinking ship IMO, even at a reduced rate. That Simmons trade is looking pretty painful at this point. Sixers should look to trade him as soon as he picks up that option...
Nah. Trade is still a great trade. You keep working from this assumption that Harden's useless which is the hot take of a fan boi and not steeped in any kind of basketball reasoning. I get it. You hate James Harden.
 

shopson67

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You haven't watched the non-Harden minutes then in the Toronto or Miami series. Without Harden on the floor, their sets look like ass. Maxey isn't a PG. He's a combo guard. Additionally, playing off Harden has been a boost to Maxey's game.

Harden has a tendency to slow everything down and not move the ball. Not a fan of that (and Lebron often does the same thing, especially when his minutes get up there). Maxey's game is boosted, since Harden draws the defense's attention and lightens Maxey's responsibilities as far as running the offense. Neither is a true point though, which might be the best fit. Rubio would be a solid get this summer and see what the trade market is for Harden?
 

shopson67

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Nah. Trade is still a great trade. You keep working from this assumption that Harden's useless which is the hot take of a fan boi and not steeped in any kind of basketball reasoning. I get it. You hate James Harden.

I've hated him since his college years (his game, his beard lol, etc). The guy has forced his way off of multiple teams, is fading before our eyes, and is expecting a big extension. I would move him before he enters his Westbrook phase (and that's coming sooner than you may want to believe).

Losing Curry, Drummond and 2 unprotected 1sts (albeit late 1sts) along with the inactive Simmons for maybe 15 months of Harden isn't aging well.
 

ill

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If he makes them better it is only marginally. At this point I'd prefer Curry's shooting and Drummond backing up Embiid to Harden.
wish it could have been Curry and Drummond but with Simmons being out there...unfortunately they needed to remedy that. It sucks that it took throwing in Curry and Drummond
 

ill

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Maxey has really stepped it up this year and I actually think the offense runs better with him at the helm and Curry's shooting was a great fit with him.
if they reassess and think Maxey is their man, then they save the max contract for someone more deserving to go in that line up with a better back up to Embiid. But if they go with Maxey, I hope they get a good deal on someone around his level.
 

ill

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I've hated him since his college years (his game, his beard lol, etc). The guy has forced his way off of multiple teams, is fading before our eyes, and is expecting a big extension. I would move him before he enters his Westbrook phase (and that's coming sooner than you may want to believe).

Losing Curry, Drummond and 2 unprotected 1sts (albeit late 1sts) along with the inactive Simmons for maybe 15 months of Harden isn't aging well.
the firsts suck for sure.

but the Sixers are still in the playoffs, so what about it isn't aging? They wanted to win this year, Harden gives them the best opportunity.

Had Embiid not fractured his orbital bone, this series might be 3-2 Sixers...or over

How far do they get with Curry and Drummond with Simmons on the bench?
 

fightinfunbags

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I've hated him since his college years (his game, his beard lol, etc). The guy has forced his way off of multiple teams, is fading before our eyes, and is expecting a big extension. I would move him before he enters his Westbrook phase (and that's coming sooner than you may want to believe).

Losing Curry, Drummond and 2 unprotected 1sts (albeit late 1sts) along with the inactive Simmons for maybe 15 months of Harden isn't aging well.
I get it now. You don’t know ball. If you knee ball you would know that Drummond is unplayable in the playoffs and has little value. You’d also know that Seth Curry is another player that gets targeted and cooked in the playoffs. He couldn’t have been better offensively than he was in last year’s playoffs and yet he was a net negative because of how poor a defender he is.
 

shopson67

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the firsts suck for sure.

but the Sixers are still in the playoffs, so what about it isn't aging? They wanted to win this year, Harden gives them the best opportunity.

Had Embiid not fractured his orbital bone, this series might be 3-2 Sixers...or over

How far do they get with Curry and Drummond with Simmons on the bench?

Betting on a healthy Embiid in the playoffs will not get you good odds.

Drummond certainly would help with Embiid hurt, and Harden's scoring has almost exclusively been from the stripe or the arc. Curry could certainly match the arc numbers.

There were likely other Simmons offers that might have yielded a more sustainable boost IMO.
 

fightinfunbags

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Betting on a healthy Embiid in the playoffs will not get you good odds.

Drummond certainly would help with Embiid hurt, and Harden's scoring has almost exclusively been from the stripe or the arc. Curry could certainly match the arc numbers.

There were likely other Simmons offers that might have yielded a more sustainable boost IMO.
Didn’t you watch Andre Drummond as a Laker? He has no role in the playoffs these days with all of the stretch fives and the need for teams to switch on screens on the perimeter.
 

ill

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Betting on a healthy Embiid in the playoffs will not get you good odds.

Drummond certainly would help with Embiid hurt, and Harden's scoring has almost exclusively been from the stripe or the arc. Curry could certainly match the arc numbers.

There were likely other Simmons offers that might have yielded a more sustainable boost IMO.
yawn

he's been healthy all year

it took a hard elbow to the head to hold him out for 2 games.

And Harden does more than score. This discussion has been had for the regular season. He draws a defender, unlike Simmons did.
 

fightinfunbags

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yawn

he's been healthy all year

it took a hard elbow to the head to hold him out for 2 games.

And Harden does more than score. This discussion has been had for the regular season. He draws a defender, unlike Simmons did.
I think Skip Bayless and Stephen A Smith actually laugh at this dude’s hot takes. He’s off on nearly every point he’s tried to make.
 

ill

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I think Skip Bayless and Stephen A Smith actually laugh at this dude’s hot takes. He’s off on nearly every point he’s tried to make.
while I like what Harden has brought to the team, I think they can put something together that is better for next season.

Simmons put them in such a bad spot...fucking asshole.
 

fightinfunbags

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while I like what Harden has brought to the team, I think they can put something together that is better for next season.

Simmons put them in such a bad spot...fucking asshole.
Not sure what you mean by “put something else together”.
 

ill

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Shanemansj13

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The most likely outcome is that Harden realizes he isn't convincing the Sixers of a max deal so instead opts in for his final year at 47 million and he bets on earning his next contract with his play in 2022-23.
The second most likely outcome is Harden chooses security of multiple years and many dollars for something like 4 years 100-120 million.
The least likely outcome would be the one everybody keeps throwing out there. Morey essentially becomes a retard and gives Harden a max deal that will become one of the worst contracts in the league instantly after signing it. I mean it's a nice scenario for haters to root for but it's not very likely.
The first option is extremely likely.
The second option is less than 1% chance he takes $25M/year lol. The Cavs have a better chance to win the lottery this year than that.
 
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