Trade Announced:
Pistons send: James Harden, 9.11
Blazers send: Tony Allen, Jared Dudley
Awful trade by Detroit. Steal for Portland.
I actually like the trade for Detroit. If they put Jeff Green to the bench it makes their starting 5, Wall/TA/Dudley/Smith/Okafor. That's some great defense with a good 6th man in Green.
I think James Harden is too valuable to give up for role players.
Star quality only.
Why? He's a role player. Harden and TA are 2 of the best star quality role player SGs.
I don't think it was THAT bad for Detroit. They basically took their super-duper running lineup of Wall, Smith, and Green, and added another fast-break-beast in TA, while staying very good defensively. I don't think Green is a good enough shooter to start next to TA and Wall, but they're still the best fast-break team in the league (especially now that Nash/Jrich/Ariza got broken up).
Harden is not a role player. He is a third wheel.
A part of one's core.
So is Tony.
Whatever word you want to attach to Harden, TA is at least on the same level.
TA can be the third best player on a title contender?
A Ray Allen to a KG + Pierce? Because I think Harden can.
I've argued before that he was just that on the Grizzlies. I'll still argue that he was more important to them than Conley. He was the leader on a team that upset the team with the best record in basketball.
Being a top 2-3 wing defender in the league is a very solid asset, and every championship team needs a defensive stopper. I think he could absolutely win a ring as the 3rd best player behind two scorers on a well-rounded team that likes to run.
He's obviously not an ideal 3rd guy but neither is Harden at this point by any stretch of the imagination.
Topic: 2011 CelticsBlog Draft Board (Read 763914 times)