Houston to Target Rondo?

[Smokeeye123]

I wish we would trade Rondo for Harden and not sign Bradley.
Harden is the top ranked SG in the league in PER.

One of the worst defenders in the league and a guy who couldnt make a shot in the playoffs.

Harden averaged 26 points a game in the playoffs.

On a pitiful 37% shooting percentage

40% many of which were threes. Plus, a lot of free throws.
And Houston was a +11 with Harden on the floor last year.

Where did you get that stat? ESPN has his Real Plus minus at about +3 which is pretty good...But maybe less so when you consider a 37 year old vince carter put up +4.40. Harden is a great scorer, but he's as one dimensional as they come. Probably the reason Houston wont ever be over the top unless they get another major free agent.

[Vox_Populi]

I wish we would trade Rondo for Harden and not sign Bradley.
Harden is the top ranked SG in the league in PER.

One of the worst defenders in the league and a guy who couldnt make a shot in the playoffs.

What I find strange is how Harden, and Anthony, two notoriously bad defenders are both elite post up defenders. Harden conceded a paltry .523 points per possession on post ups and Anthony only gave up .590 points per, placing them both in the top 12 in the league.

I wonder why.

[shrinkage36]

Sorry, but harden's lack of defense is terrifying. Unless you give me Dwight or Asik + pick, there's almost no asset that Houston can offer to match.

Wow! That video of his defense was frightening. You cannot contend for Championships if you can't play good defense. He looks lazy, uninterested at defense at all, he's only interested in offense. NO thanks

[Chris22]

Harden is a very good player, I doubt if we get him.

[kozlodoev]

I wish we would trade Rondo for Harden and not sign Bradley.
Harden is the top ranked SG in the league in PER.

One of the worst defenders in the league and a guy who couldnt make a shot in the playoffs.

What I find strange is how Harden, and Anthony, two notoriously bad defenders are both elite post up defenders. Harden conceded a paltry .523 points per possession on post ups and Anthony only gave up .590 points per, placing them both in the top 12 in the league.

I wonder why.

Anthony, because he's bigger than anyone who plays him, and Harden, because SGs probably can't post up most of the time.

[fitzhickey]

I wish we would trade Rondo for Harden and not sign Bradley.
Harden is the top ranked SG in the league in PER.

One of the worst defenders in the league and a guy who couldnt make a shot in the playoffs.

What I find strange is how Harden, and Anthony, two notoriously bad defenders are both elite post up defenders. Harden conceded a paltry .523 points per possession on post ups and Anthony only gave up .590 points per, placing them both in the top 12 in the league.

I wonder why.

Although Melo's defense isn't elite, it is overstated how bad he is. he's a very solid 1v1 defender, it's just closing out which is his main issue (although that may be effort more than anything)

[Who]

Harden is not that bad of a defender. It's just there is no accountability on the defensive end of the floor in Houston. McHale doesn't do his job. Lets Harden away with anything. And so his defense has dropped off badly as Harden conserves his energy for offense.

Put Harden on a different team or give him a head coach who will actually hold his players accountable and Harden will be a fine middle of the pack defensive player.

[Future Celtics Owner]

Harden is not that bad of a defender. It's just there is no accountability on the defensive end of the floor in Houston. McHale doesn't do his job. Lets Harden away with anything. And so his defense has dropped off badly as Harden conserves his energy for offense.

Put Harden on a different team or give him a head coach who will actually hold his players accountable and Harden will be a fine middle of the pack defensive player.

Send him to Chicago..Tibs would eat him alive.

[Chief Macho]

just morey trying to save his job after a disastrous  offseason..


http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/07/rajon_rondo_trade_rumors_rankle_danny_ainge_again

[BudweiserCeltic]

How much of a fan is Danny Ainge of Morey? I'm pretty sure doing this dance again with Houston having no shot at Rondo is ticking Ainge off.

The word is strong that the Celtics will look at all possible Rondo deals, and if nothing is to their liking, they would rather risk seeing him walk away as a free agent and take the salary cap benefit.

But the Houston rumor does not fall into the category of a possible Rondo deal.

Executives from around the league have been laughing off some of the Rocket flares. The nicest thing being said is that the club is trying to get things stirred up after missing out on Chris Bosh, dealing away Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin and seeing Chandler Parsons sign a free agent offer sheet with Dallas.

The matter with Houston and the Celts appears to be similar to last February when the Rockets made a quick call and learned in seconds that there was no deal to be had.

Ainge told the Herald at the time that such calls were not uncommon. But he was clearly upset that some of that had been leaked and characterized as something serious.

“There’s always some of that, but that’s just people checking,” Ainge said in February in reference to the shots in the dark. “I don’t have a problem with somebody calling me even if I don’t think it’s a reasonable offer. That happens all the time, and I’m sure I’ve done that, too. I don’t have any issues with that.

“But what I do have issues with is people that call with really no intention to make a deal and just an intention of being able to say they called. Then the next thing you know, as soon as they hang up the phone, there’s rumors that they’re trying to get Rondo. So it becomes a story that’s talked about for seven days, when in fact they never really did want Rondo and we definitely had no interest in getting rid of Rondo.

“We love Rondo, and we had no intention of doing that deal. But someone can call and feel good about themselves and make some bogus offer and then have a rumor out there that they’re trying to get him.”

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/07/rajon_rondo_trade_rumors_rankle_danny_ainge_again