Official Off-Season Thread 2017

[Son of Skeletor]

Watching it is wrong.

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

Adds weight to my point really haha

 

[PP34]

They're both very ball dominant players so it should be interesting to see how they adjust playing together. According to reports Harden was involved in recruiting CP which I find it hard to believe as Harden's chances of winning the regular season MVP have all but disappeared with the addition of a player that will surely take over the point guard play maker role.

This will mean that Harden will have less time with the ball in his hands which is what has allowed Harden to put up the huge numbers to be in contention for MVP in the first place. Something has got to give unless I'm underestimating Harden's willingness to play off the ball for the sake of team success.

Why is it hard to believe?

Not every player is a stat hungry ball hog like Westbrook. Harden clearly wants to win and doing so is going to be much easier with CP3 next to him. Curry was instrumental in convincing KD last off-season. It's the same thing here. Harden is 27. He's not going to be good forever. If anything the season just gone would have showed him what a waste of time it is trying to win as the only star on a team.

They're both guards who need the ball, but unlike a Wade/LeBron tandem, these two can both shoot the rock. Harden spent a number of years being the third wheel in OKC behind Durant and Westbrook, he's got experience in this area.

 

[PP34]

People saying CP3 could play off the ball

Why not? He can shoot the ball and he's got a high basketball IQ.

I still think Harden will be the one playing off ball more, but CP3 will definitely do so at times.

It's not that ridiculous of a concept. Harden is the one who has to sacrifice the ball more anyway. He's spent the last three seasons with the ball in his hands a great deal.

CP3 has never played with a guard like Harden so it definitely is uncharted waters for him, but I'll back in his desire to win over wanting to hog the ball and put up numbers. This is a guy who was more than happy to get Blake involved in the Clippers offence.

 

[Dez!]

So Harden has an MVP caliber year and now has to go back to secondary ball handler? All smiles now but I guarantee by the end of the next season when they get bundled out in the second round those smiles will be long gone.

 

[Richard Cranium]

if you consider CP3 himself to be "people" then yes quite funny

both he and harden are quite versatile, it will work fine

I don't think I've seen or heard Chris Paul described as 'versatile' once in his career.

 

[SloaneysDanger]

Why not? He can shoot the ball and he's got a high basketball IQ.

I still think Harden will be the one playing off ball more, but CP3 will definitely do so at times.

It's not that ridiculous of a concept. Harden is the one who has to sacrifice the ball more anyway. He's spent the last three seasons with the ball in his hands a great deal.

CP3 has never played with a guard like Harden so it definitely is uncharted waters for him, but I'll back in his desire to win over wanting to hog the ball and put up numbers. This is a guy who was more than happy to get Blake involved in the Clippers offence.

Win what?

 

[SloaneysDanger]

I don't think I've seen or heard Chris Paul described as 'versatile' once in his career.

Out and out PG from what I've seen...

 

[PP34]

Win what?

Games, playoff series.

Just because the Warriors won easily this year, doesn't mean the rest of the NBA should just fold for the next few seasons.

Plus Daryl Morey has shown numerous times he can find star talent.

The Clippers were a sinking ship with an idiot of a coach/GM.

 

[PP34]

Out and out PG from what I've seen...

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Kyrie exists just fine next to LeBron.

You seriously think Paul with his superior basketball IQ can't cope next to Harden?

 

[SloaneysDanger]

Games, playoff series.

Just because the Warriors won easily this year, doesn't mean the rest of the NBA should just fold for the next few seasons.

Plus Daryl Morey has shown numerous times he can find star talent.

The Clippers were a sinking ship with an idiot of a coach/GM.

So he goes from a team with 2 other All Stars to a team with 1 All Star.

Let the winning commence

 

[SloaneysDanger]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Kyrie exists just fine next to LeBron.

You seriously think Paul with his superior basketball IQ can't cope next to Harden?

Kyrie is a score first PG, CP3 is the opposite.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

So Harden has an MVP caliber year and now has to go back to secondary ball handler? All smiles now but I guarantee by the end of the next season when they get bundled out in the second round those smiles will be long gone.

It will make Houston a better team. Harden's not the passer and ball handler Paul is.

 

[PP34]

So he goes from a team with 2 other All Stars to a team with 1 All Star.

Let the winning commence

Being very generous there with the 2 all stars. We all know DeAndre is terribly overrated. Current Harden is also better than any version of Blake Griffin. Watch Capella look like an all-star next to CP3 and Harden.

Doc Rivers has also been pretty horrid for the Clippers. D'Antoni is a better coach.

Kyrie is a score first PG, CP3 is the opposite.

And? Kyrie is more ball dominant than CP3 yet still manages to exist next to LeBron just fine. Wouldn't exactly say Kyrie is great off the ball either. Needs the ball in his hands to do his best work. CP3 is hardly Rajon Rondo either.

Harden was getting tired a fair bit last season having to carry so much of a burden. A secondary guard is a big help to him.

There's a lot you can do with the combo too. One of them can rest while the other runs the offence. Teams also now have to defend a Harden or CP3 a lot more differently. They focus too much on the ball handler, they're now giving a lot more room for Harden or CP3 to catch the ball and go to work from an off ball position.

Same goes any off-ball screens to get either of the two open.

They will generate a lot of easy looks as a result of their shooting and passing ability combined with their basketball IQs.

The biggest question for me going forward with the Rockets is defence. Like every team that wants to beat the Warriors, they're not good enough on that end.

 

[Dez!]

Being very generous there with the 2 all stars. We all know DeAndre is terribly overrated. Current Harden is also better than any version of Blake Griffin. Watch Capella look like an all-star next to CP3 and Harden.

Doc Rivers has also been pretty horrid for the Clippers. D'Antoni is a better coach.

And? Kyrie is more ball dominant than CP3 yet still manages to exist next to LeBron just fine. Wouldn't exactly say Kyrie is great off the ball either. Needs the ball in his hands to do his best work. CP3 is hardly Rajon Rondo either.

Harden was getting tired a fair bit last season having to carry so much of a burden. A secondary guard is a big help to him.

There's a lot you can do with the combo too. One of them can rest while the other runs the offence. Teams also now have to defend a Harden or CP3 a lot more differently. They focus too much on the ball handler, they're now giving a lot more room for Harden or CP3 to catch the ball and go to work from an off ball position.

Same goes any off-ball screens to get either of the two open.

They will generate a lot of easy looks as a result of their shooting and passing ability combined with their basketball IQs.

The biggest question for me going forward with the Rockets is defence. Like every team that wants to beat the Warriors, they're not good enough on that end.

Why do you bring up current Harden? He's going to be absolutely no where near the same player next season as he was this season playing alongside Chris Paul.

Also people keep talking about staggering minutes, that's fine during the regular season but during the post-season when rotations are tighter and the starters play long it will be a problem.

 

[PP34]

Why do you bring up current Harden? He's going to be absolutely no where near the same player next season as he was this season playing alongside Chris Paul.

Also people keep talking about staggering minutes, that's fine during the regular season but during the post-season when rotations are tighter and the starters play long it will be a problem.

You're right. He'll average less turnovers, shoot the ball more efficiently and won't need to carry the offensive load. You act like that's a bad thing. Maybe the Rockets should have just said no to CP3 and gone full OKC with Westbrook, no help, just a bloke jacking shots and pounding the rock.

As for minute staggering, yeah it's more of a regular season thing, but watch those games against the Spurs and tell me Harden wasn't gassed. Having CP3 there to help out is massive.

 

[stewie griffen]

 

[Dez!]

You're right. He'll average less turnovers, shoot the ball more efficiently and won't need to carry the offensive load. You act like that's a bad thing. Maybe the Rockets should have just said no to CP3 and gone full OKC with Westbrook, no help, just a bloke jacking shots and pounding the rock.

As for minute staggering, yeah it's more of a regular season thing, but watch those games against the Spurs and tell me Harden wasn't gassed. Having CP3 there to help out is massive.

They shouldn't have even chased CP3, they should have focused on Paul George or Gordan Hayward.

 

[PP34]

They shouldn't have even chased CP3, they should have focused on Paul George or Gordan Hayward.

Both are inferior players.

 

[Dez!]

Both are inferior players.

Both are better fits and don't impact Harden as much as Paul would.

 

[I Lost My Keays]

Hurry the f**k up free agency......

 

[PP34]

Both are better fits and don't impact Harden as much as Paul would.

Hayward maybe, but I reckon George would have a fairly big impact on Harden.

 

[largebus]

Well I was hoping he would go to Texas--him and Kawhi would be a serious threat to the Warriors hegemony.

I have a bad feeling this won't end well for either party.

 

[Dags21]

Not sure cp3 and harden will complement each other... both need th ball to be effective.
I can imagine Chris butting heads with harden on th defensive end.
Good luck to them both, I just can't see it working..


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[hamG]

I am 100% confident Harden will be happy to drop his stat line to play with CP3. Houston were not going to challenge with the same lineup. Adding CP3 with a commitment of only 1 season is a great move. Plus the early trade makes the team a legit destination to attract other players while everyone is distracted by the other PG.