Get out of my head!!! Seriously though, I agree with this post 100%. He jumped the gun a bit. He should have stayed for a ring. But I can't really blame a young guy for jumping ship for the serious coin they tossed him. Live and learn.
Get out of my head!!! Seriously though, I agree with this post 100%. He jumped the gun a bit. He should have stayed for a ring. But I can't really blame a young guy for jumping ship for the serious coin they tossed him. Live and learn.
Yeah, Harden messed up. I think he's really where he was with the Thunder, second or third best player on the team. That may sound shocking, yes I know he can score and pass well, but it's fairly obvious he isn't quick enough to be able to escape traps and get around the opposing team's best defenders. There's no doubt he got a lot of points for the Thunder because the lock down defense wasn't attacking him. When they did, he crumbled. Anyone happen to see what happened when Lebron gaurded him in the final seconds of the Rockets-Heat game? Lebron stayed right with him, step for step, and when Harden went for that step-back jumper, Lebron was right in his face. He missed.
He's a good player, but he isn't Kevin Durant. Stats can be misleading; Harden shoots a high percentage when he's open, but so does just about every other SG in the NBA. He gets to the line efficiently, except when players just wait for him at the rim and block his soft scooping lay-ups. He plays decent defense, but again, I wouldn't put him much above average. I'm glad we kept Ibaka and Maynor. Ibaka could have held out for more, but he didn't.
He's a good player, but he isn't Kevin Durant. Stats can be misleading; Harden shoots a high percentage when he's open, but so does just about every other SG in the NBA. He gets to the line efficiently, except when players just wait for him at the rim and block his soft scooping lay-ups. He plays decent defense, but again, I wouldn't put him much above average. I'm glad we kept Ibaka and Maynor. Ibaka could have held out for more, but he didn't.
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If someone offered me a 20% pay increase I would probably take it, and I absolutely love where I work. Now multiply that 20% increase by the fact that pro ball players have only a very limited time to make all the money they are going to make for the rest of their lives. Harden will play 10 years maybe a couple more in the league...I get to work 40 before I retire, so that extra 20 million pay bump for going to the rockets was a no brainer when you only get to work 10 years and then its over.
It sucks, everyone liked him and it isn't fun, but its the nature of the business. He definately struggled last night, but it was expected. Thunder guys were keying on him (when was the last time you say Perkins jumping a double team 4 feet beyond the 3 point line) and he is a 22 year old kid coming back to what he considered his home. Emotionally he was probably a wreck, I wouldn't have handled it well at 22 because you know he wanted to play well. He will be fine and so will we.
The other question is why didn't we pay him max? Everyone is talking about salary cap penalties...blah blah blah...Forbes estimated the Thunder made a minimum profit of 35 million last year. And 30 million the year before (after all expenses and salaries are paid). The difference in what we offered him and what we could have paid him was a couple million a year, even if there is penalties for going over the salary cap, Thunder would have still been easily in the black, it would have been closer, but definately in the black form all the numbers I have read about. It may have been the best move long term, I don't know, but the idea that the franchise had to do it or they would have gone out of business or lost money is ridiculous. It looks like a profit saving trade to me, not a we are going to lose money if we don't trade him like they have positioned to the media. But if I owned a team, I would like to make money too, so who am I to judge.
It sucks, everyone liked him and it isn't fun, but its the nature of the business. He definately struggled last night, but it was expected. Thunder guys were keying on him (when was the last time you say Perkins jumping a double team 4 feet beyond the 3 point line) and he is a 22 year old kid coming back to what he considered his home. Emotionally he was probably a wreck, I wouldn't have handled it well at 22 because you know he wanted to play well. He will be fine and so will we.
The other question is why didn't we pay him max? Everyone is talking about salary cap penalties...blah blah blah...Forbes estimated the Thunder made a minimum profit of 35 million last year. And 30 million the year before (after all expenses and salaries are paid). The difference in what we offered him and what we could have paid him was a couple million a year, even if there is penalties for going over the salary cap, Thunder would have still been easily in the black, it would have been closer, but definately in the black form all the numbers I have read about. It may have been the best move long term, I don't know, but the idea that the franchise had to do it or they would have gone out of business or lost money is ridiculous. It looks like a profit saving trade to me, not a we are going to lose money if we don't trade him like they have positioned to the media. But if I owned a team, I would like to make money too, so who am I to judge.
It's not like Harden just up and walked out on the Thunder...in his mind he was negotiating a new deal...and the Thunder traded him. Yes...he wanted more money...but who doesn't? I like the guy and wish him well.
This.
No matter what our chosen occupation we should be able to practice it as we see fit for whatever renumeration as we see fit.
His loyalty should lie with himself and family first and foremost. Fans of a sports team are way down the list.
I wish him the best, and there is not one person who is completely honest with him or herself. That would pass up $80,000,000.00 count the zero's folks. All he did for me is kinda made a Rocket fan, until they play the Thunder.
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