Rumour: Harden to the 76ers?

[Who]

Durant, Kyrie & Ben Simmons would be the new Steph, Klay and Draymond.

[Moranis]

76ers not noticing a guy often out of shape is playing worst basketball in years? It is probably the best they can get at this point though

Harden's last 11 games.  27.2 ppg, 11.0 apg, 8.3 rpg, 50.9% from 2, 34.2% from 3, 86.1% from the line on 9.8 FTApg.  In other words, Harden is pretty much back in MVP form after a slow start to the year.

Sorry that is not mvp form. Team also performing poorly. He is still a good player but also only getting older and repeatedly has come into seasons out of shape. This isn’t really groundbreaking stuff to point out. Cool he had an 11 game run though.

Harden's MVP season he averaged 30.4 ppg, 8.8 apg, 5.4 rpg, 53.1 from 2, 36.7 from 3, and 85.8 from the line on 10.1 FTApg.  His Game Score on bball-ref was 24.3.  His last 11 games he is at 24.6. 

Statistically a bit worse shooting, but a better passer and rebounder the last 11.  In other words, Harden is in his MVP form and there doesn't appear any reason to think he won't continue playing at that level.

Harden's gonna be 33 this summer, no way he plays at an MVP level anymore. He's no Lebron or Tom Brady, he doesn't keep himself in top shape for starters.  Father time's going to run him over and back up over him too.

For the season, he is averaging basically 23/10/8 with a TS% of 59.  It isn't like he isn't performing at a high level and that obviously includes the beginning of the year when he was clearly out of shape.  He is, however, back in shape and playing at a much higher level the last few weeks and only VanVleet is playing more mpg than he is on the season.  He is pretty much back in prime-Houston form and I really see no reason he won't continue to play at that level the rest of this year if not beyond. 

[Yuckabuck33]

Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.


If Rob Williams could be replaced by cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table, why didn't the cheap filler (Kornet, Wagner) bring 80% of what he brings to the table?

[Who]

Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

If Rob Williams could be replaced by cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table, why didn't the cheap filler (Kornet, Wagner) bring 80% of what he brings to the table?

Not that cheap! JaVale McGee cheap.

MLE to below MLE cheap.
Not 3rd string minimum contract cheap.

[Yuckabuck33]

Sorry, I can't figure out the quote function, lol.

[Yuckabuck33]

Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

If Rob Williams could be replaced by cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table, why didn't the cheap filler (Kornet, Wagner) bring 80% of what he brings to the table?

Not that cheap! JaVale McGee cheap.

Javale McGee can pass like the Timelord?

[CBS_Take a Report]

I’m totally and utterly serious when I say this: isn’t a package of Marcus Smart + Robert Williams III more valuable to the Nets?

You would rather have have those two guys than Ben Simmons?

I'd much rather have Ben Simmons on the Celtics. It's nowhere close. He'd be awesome here. Talent wins in the NBA and he is far more talented than either of those guys.

Yes I would rather those two than Ben Simmons. I was actually stating from the Nets perspective (ie where we would acquire Harden for a package centered on those two).

Are you just low on Ben Simmons or high on Rob Williams & Marcus Smart? Or a combo of both?

If Rob Williams and Smart are so valuable, how is Boston not winning more games? If they are more valuable than Ben Simmons and play next to Tatum & Jaylen Brown.

Why are Smart and Rob Williams so valuable to Brooklyn? Smart can't shoot and compounds shooting problems. Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

Ben Simmons would make a massive boost to Boston and be much better next to Kyrie and Durant. His ball-handling, passing, transition offense, interior scoring, rebounding, man defense, team defense are all stellar. How tough would Kyrie and Durant be filling lanes and spotting up from 3 with Simmons running the break? They'd be lethal. Brooklyn would be the most exciting team in the league with Simmons' passing.

Combination of both. Marcus is a tad bit over paid but would be a remarkable role player in a championship team and is a locker room cog. Rob continues to ascend as a dominant force and projects to be a top 10 center. He might even be one right now arguably. And if he could develop a post game and an outside shot of some nature which based on his foul shooting capabilities projects nicely he could be dominant and his cost controlled for another three years at arguably the most cost-effective contract in the NBA.

[Who]

Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

If Rob Williams could be replaced by cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table, why didn't the cheap filler (Kornet, Wagner) bring 80% of what he brings to the table?

Not that cheap! JaVale McGee cheap.

Javale McGee can pass like the Timelord?

That is why I said 80%. McGee cannot do everything but most of what Rob Williams does for us.

And Rob Williams averages 1.8 assists per game. It is not like he is making a huge difference to our offense with his passing. Now a good chunk of that is bad coaching / under-utilizing his passing but there are limitations there due to his lack of scoring ability whenever he is 5+ feet away from the basket.

[CBS_Take a Report]

I’m totally and utterly serious when I say this: isn’t a package of Marcus Smart + Robert Williams III more valuable to the Nets?

You would rather have have those two guys than Ben Simmons?

I'd much rather have Ben Simmons on the Celtics. It's nowhere close. He'd be awesome here. Talent wins in the NBA and he is far more talented than either of those guys.

Yes I would rather those two than Ben Simmons. I was actually stating from the Nets perspective (ie where we would acquire Harden for a package centered on those two).

Are you just low on Ben Simmons or high on Rob Williams & Marcus Smart? Or a combo of both?

If Rob Williams and Smart are so valuable, how is Boston not winning more games? If they are more valuable than Ben Simmons and play next to Tatum & Jaylen Brown.

Why are Smart and Rob Williams so valuable to Brooklyn? Smart can't shoot and compounds shooting problems. Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

Ben Simmons would make a massive boost to Boston and be much better next to Kyrie and Durant. His ball-handling, passing, transition offense, interior scoring, rebounding, man defense, team defense are all stellar. How tough would Kyrie and Durant be filling lanes and spotting up from 3 with Simmons running the break? They'd be lethal. Brooklyn would be the most exciting team in the league with Simmons' passing.

Combination of both. Super high on Rob in particular. If his foul shot is any indicator and he can develop a post and outside shot game he will definitely project to be a top 10 center and quite honestly based on his prowess right now defensively and in the paint he might be on the fringe. Marcus is a locker room guy that just adds a level of clout and is an awesome piece to a championship contender.

Ben Simmons quit on his team and can’t shoot. He has skill set and attitude deficiencies and is on a max contract.

So you have two players who continue to improve on cost controlled contracts reasonably with great attitudes. I’ll take that any day of the week!

[Sophomore]

I’m totally and utterly serious when I say this: isn’t a package of Marcus Smart + Robert Williams III more valuable to the Nets?

You would rather have have those two guys than Ben Simmons?

I'd much rather have Ben Simmons on the Celtics. It's nowhere close. He'd be awesome here. Talent wins in the NBA and he is far more talented than either of those guys.

Yes I would rather those two than Ben Simmons. I was actually stating from the Nets perspective (ie where we would acquire Harden for a package centered on those two).

Are you just low on Ben Simmons or high on Rob Williams & Marcus Smart? Or a combo of both?

If Rob Williams and Smart are so valuable, how is Boston not winning more games? If they are more valuable than Ben Simmons and play next to Tatum & Jaylen Brown.

Why are Smart and Rob Williams so valuable to Brooklyn? Smart can't shoot and compounds shooting problems. Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

Ben Simmons would make a massive boost to Boston and be much better next to Kyrie and Durant. His ball-handling, passing, transition offense, interior scoring, rebounding, man defense, team defense are all stellar. How tough would Kyrie and Durant be filling lanes and spotting up from 3 with Simmons running the break? They'd be lethal. Brooklyn would be the most exciting team in the league with Simmons' passing.

Rob Williams is an “unskilled big man” - presumably because he doesn’t have an outside shot. We’re supposed to ignore his passing, screen-setting, lob ability, and unique defensive ability, I guess. But  Ben Simmons, a point guard who is even less of a shooter than Rob - I mean, literally, because Rob sometimes shoots a foul-line jumper and may actually try to add that to his game - is “stellar”. not buying.

This seriously undervalues Rob’s ability. He’s third in the league in blocks and probably would lead the league if the Cs played drop coverage. They don’t because, unlike Gobert, he can also guard the perimeter. If he keeps developing he’s all-NBA defense and a threat to go for 5 assists/game.

[Who]

I’m totally and utterly serious when I say this: isn’t a package of Marcus Smart + Robert Williams III more valuable to the Nets?

You would rather have have those two guys than Ben Simmons?

I'd much rather have Ben Simmons on the Celtics. It's nowhere close. He'd be awesome here. Talent wins in the NBA and he is far more talented than either of those guys.

Yes I would rather those two than Ben Simmons. I was actually stating from the Nets perspective (ie where we would acquire Harden for a package centered on those two).

Are you just low on Ben Simmons or high on Rob Williams & Marcus Smart? Or a combo of both?

If Rob Williams and Smart are so valuable, how is Boston not winning more games? If they are more valuable than Ben Simmons and play next to Tatum & Jaylen Brown.

Why are Smart and Rob Williams so valuable to Brooklyn? Smart can't shoot and compounds shooting problems. Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

Ben Simmons would make a massive boost to Boston and be much better next to Kyrie and Durant. His ball-handling, passing, transition offense, interior scoring, rebounding, man defense, team defense are all stellar. How tough would Kyrie and Durant be filling lanes and spotting up from 3 with Simmons running the break? They'd be lethal. Brooklyn would be the most exciting team in the league with Simmons' passing.

Rob Williams is an “unskilled big man” - presumably because he doesn’t have an outside shot. We’re supposed to ignore his passing, screen-setting, lob ability, and unique defensive ability, I guess. But  Ben Simmons, a point guard who is even less of a shooter than Rob - I mean, literally, because Rob sometimes shoots a foul-line jumper and may actually try to add that to his game - is “stellar”. not buying.

This seriously undervalues Rob’s ability. He’s third in the league in blocks and probably would lead the league if the Cs played drop coverage. They don’t because, unlike Gobert, he can also guard the perimeter. If he keeps developing he’s all-NBA defense and a threat to go for 5 assists/game.

There is a massive difference between Simmons' limitations on offense and Rob Williams'.

Simmons is one of the best transition players in the NBA (both a high level scorer and passer in transition). He has a strong ball-handler who can take opposing players off the dribble and who can attack scrambling defenses and create offense for either himself or others. He is one of the finest passers in the NBA who creates far more for his teammates than Rob Williams does. Plus, Simmons has a post game and shot creation inside.

Rob Williams sets screens, dunks and is a lob threat. Lots of cheap big men can do that. What cheap big men can't normally do is pass the ball like he does. What he brings to the table offensively is by and large easily replaceable. That is why I consider him unskilled. You want to low skilled rather than unskilled because of the passing, fine.

[Vermont Green]

Two themes are emerging.  First, is Harden still an "MVP-Level" player.  I don't think Harden is going to win another MVP but I think it is a mistake to think he won't play at a very high level, say top 10 in the league level, for the next couple of years.  I don't see him as even close to washed up or anything.

The second theme is who would you rather have, Simmons or Smart/RWill.  The problem is that there is a huge gap between what Philly seems to think Simmons is worth and what they probably should expect to get for him.  At this point, does anyone know what you are going to get with Simmons?  You assume it is the Simmons from a couple of years ago but can you be sure?

If I was the Nets, I would not trade Harden for Simmons or for Smart/RWill.  Simmons is too much risk and Smart/RWill is just not enough value.  Now, would I trade Smart and RWill for Simmons?  In the off season, yes, but only after some thorough physical and mental vetting.  I am not so sure I would do that trade right now though.  It would be hard to know for sure where Simmons' head is at.  Does he even want to be in Boston?

[JBcat]

I’m totally and utterly serious when I say this: isn’t a package of Marcus Smart + Robert Williams III more valuable to the Nets?

You would rather have have those two guys than Ben Simmons?

I'd much rather have Ben Simmons on the Celtics. It's nowhere close. He'd be awesome here. Talent wins in the NBA and he is far more talented than either of those guys.

Yes I would rather those two than Ben Simmons. I was actually stating from the Nets perspective (ie where we would acquire Harden for a package centered on those two).

Are you just low on Ben Simmons or high on Rob Williams & Marcus Smart? Or a combo of both?

If Rob Williams and Smart are so valuable, how is Boston not winning more games? If they are more valuable than Ben Simmons and play next to Tatum & Jaylen Brown.

Why are Smart and Rob Williams so valuable to Brooklyn? Smart can't shoot and compounds shooting problems. Rob Williams is an unskilled big man who can be replace by a cheap filler who could do 80% of what he brings to the table.

Ben Simmons would make a massive boost to Boston and be much better next to Kyrie and Durant. His ball-handling, passing, transition offense, interior scoring, rebounding, man defense, team defense are all stellar. How tough would Kyrie and Durant be filling lanes and spotting up from 3 with Simmons running the break? They'd be lethal. Brooklyn would be the most exciting team in the league with Simmons' passing.

Combination of both. Marcus is a tad bit over paid but would be a remarkable role player in a championship team and is a locker room cog. Rob continues to ascend as a dominant force and projects to be a top 10 center. He might even be one right now arguably. And if he could develop a post game and an outside shot of some nature which based on his foul shooting capabilities projects nicely he could be dominant and his cost controlled for another three years at arguably the most cost-effective contract in the NBA.

I personally don’t think the Nets need R Williams. They are high on both 22 year old Claxton and 20 year on Sharpe as bigs that are already producing this year. I like they both as well, and they each provide a little something different from each other, and could potentially play alongside each in the future with Claxton’s versatility.

[Moranis]

76ers not noticing a guy often out of shape is playing worst basketball in years? It is probably the best they can get at this point though

Harden's last 11 games.  27.2 ppg, 11.0 apg, 8.3 rpg, 50.9% from 2, 34.2% from 3, 86.1% from the line on 9.8 FTApg.  In other words, Harden is pretty much back in MVP form after a slow start to the year.

Sorry that is not mvp form. Team also performing poorly. He is still a good player but also only getting older and repeatedly has come into seasons out of shape. This isn’t really groundbreaking stuff to point out. Cool he had an 11 game run though.

Harden's MVP season he averaged 30.4 ppg, 8.8 apg, 5.4 rpg, 53.1 from 2, 36.7 from 3, and 85.8 from the line on 10.1 FTApg.  His Game Score on bball-ref was 24.3.  His last 11 games he is at 24.6. 

Statistically a bit worse shooting, but a better passer and rebounder the last 11.  In other words, Harden is in his MVP form and there doesn't appear any reason to think he won't continue playing at that level.

Harden's gonna be 33 this summer, no way he plays at an MVP level anymore. He's no Lebron or Tom Brady, he doesn't keep himself in top shape for starters.  Father time's going to run him over and back up over him too.

yea this is pretty obvious. Not really sure why mo is getting hung up on him putting up numbers for 11 games while the nets are playing poorly as a team. Not really even a debatable thing. 100tps to mo if harden wins the mvp next year. But yeah 32 year old perennially out of shape guy that has had some minor injuries the last few years. This is just the history of the nba and what happens outside of kareem, Lebron, Malone and a few others that clearly took fitness and nutrition very serious their whole career.

Harden isn't going to win the MVP, he isn't even the best player on his team (and wouldn't be if he was traded to Philly either), but that doesn't mean Harden can't play at a MVP level.  Players also generally don't just fall off a cliff.  They tend to have a gradual decline.  Even with him coming in out of shape and adjusting to the rule changes, Harden is averaging basically 23/10/8 with a TS% of 59 as the 2nd scoring option on his team.  With Durant out, I wouldn't be surprised at all to seem consistently eclipsing 30 ppg again, as he has been inching up close to it the last few weeks anyway. 

[celticsclay]

76ers not noticing a guy often out of shape is playing worst basketball in years? It is probably the best they can get at this point though

Harden's last 11 games.  27.2 ppg, 11.0 apg, 8.3 rpg, 50.9% from 2, 34.2% from 3, 86.1% from the line on 9.8 FTApg.  In other words, Harden is pretty much back in MVP form after a slow start to the year.

Sorry that is not mvp form. Team also performing poorly. He is still a good player but also only getting older and repeatedly has come into seasons out of shape. This isn’t really groundbreaking stuff to point out. Cool he had an 11 game run though.

Harden's MVP season he averaged 30.4 ppg, 8.8 apg, 5.4 rpg, 53.1 from 2, 36.7 from 3, and 85.8 from the line on 10.1 FTApg.  His Game Score on bball-ref was 24.3.  His last 11 games he is at 24.6. 

Statistically a bit worse shooting, but a better passer and rebounder the last 11.  In other words, Harden is in his MVP form and there doesn't appear any reason to think he won't continue playing at that level.

Harden's gonna be 33 this summer, no way he plays at an MVP level anymore. He's no Lebron or Tom Brady, he doesn't keep himself in top shape for starters.  Father time's going to run him over and back up over him too.

yea this is pretty obvious. Not really sure why mo is getting hung up on him putting up numbers for 11 games while the nets are playing poorly as a team. Not really even a debatable thing. 100tps to mo if harden wins the mvp next year. But yeah 32 year old perennially out of shape guy that has had some minor injuries the last few years. This is just the history of the nba and what happens outside of kareem, Lebron, Malone and a few others that clearly took fitness and nutrition very serious their whole career.

Harden isn't going to win the MVP, he isn't even the best player on his team (and wouldn't be if he was traded to Philly either), but that doesn't mean Harden can't play at a MVP level.  Players also generally don't just fall off a cliff.  They tend to have a gradual decline.  Even with him coming in out of shape and adjusting to the rule changes, Harden is averaging basically 23/10/8 with a TS% of 59 as the 2nd scoring option on his team.  With Durant out, I wouldn't be surprised at all to seem consistently eclipsing 30 ppg again, as he has been inching up close to it the last few weeks anyway.

Certain Players have, through the history of the nba fallen a cliff for a variety of reasons (if you really want we can sit here and easily name a bunch but notorious partners like kemp, Walker, iverson etc obvious ones that come to mind). One thing that does actually prevent that is taking really great
Care of your body like the ray allens, lebrons, Kareem’s, Malones or in football brady. Harden has the opposite reputation of that as someone that is constantly playing themselves into shape and is notorious for partying and going to strip clubs during off-season. There some reports he even charters party flights in the middle of the season. We are talking about harden joining the 76ers this off-season for multiple seasons. I think everyone following this conversation except you is recognizing it is extremely unlikely harden is playing at an mvp level the older he gets. Frankly I’m surprised this is even a point of contention cause it seems really straight forward and obvious.

https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2922695-james-harden-reportedly-would-ask-rockets-for-off-days-fly-to-vegas-to-party.amp.html