[Celtics3178Participant]

both players last year put up pretty insane numbers and Both their teams made the playoffs pretty much on their backs. both teams also added a star player for them to play with. Harden and Westbrook are both Alphas so the Stars they added will have to complement them. Who will work out better than the other.

Im excited about a Westbrook and PG duo. I think PG is a totally different player then KD and his game will actually accelerate next to Westbrook. They are both freakish athletes who can grab boards and go. Neither is lights out shooting but they are good enough. Teams are going to be in a ton of foul trouble trying too keep those two out of the paint. I really hope they get the 8 seed and match up with GS in round 1. I know they can’t win but it be fun as hell to watch. I think they gained the most out of the two teams by adding George. 

Harden and CP3 is a little more puzzling.  Harden is a stud and either one of them can run the offense. Harden is a lights out shooter and CP3 will get him great looks when he’s not running the helm. Being in Mikey’s system only helps the situation. I’m little confused as too why he left the clippers tho. The rockets aren’t much better then the clippers. CP3 Blake DJ and they had the chance of stealing Melo for pennies on the dollar. Seems like a better team then what the rockets have even with the chance of Melo. That’s just my opinion tho obviously CP3 didn’t agree. 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 I’m actually not sure about the Westbrook/PG duo. Will Westbrook really be willing to take a step back and take on more a facilator role? While I don’t doubt the fact that he wants to win, I think he also relishes the fact that he can basically shoot the ball whenever he wants and put up insane numbers. As great as Westbrook is, the truth is that George is the more efficient scorer and the thunder should probably run more of their half court offense through him. But will Westbrook allow that to happen? This isn’t necessarily the same situation as Durant, where he was already entrenched as the franchise player before Westbrook got there. There will no doubt be an adjustment for both players. With both of them potentially in contract years, this team will be under a microscope and I could see the potential for some friction​ to surface if they don’t get off to a strong start.

As far as CP3-harden I actually like the pairing better. While I think harden no doubt enjoyed the dual scorer/playmaker role last season I think it just physically wore on him. You could really see toward the end of the season into the playoffs. He just doesn’t possess that bionic level of energy that Westbrook does. I think he will kind of welcome the opportunity not to have all of the playmaking responsibility and go back to his utilizing his primary skill as a scorer. The one thing I do wonder about though is even though cp3 will be the primary ball-handler, harden will still have the ball in his hands a lot and cp3 will have to adjust to an off-ball role for stretches like he never has in his career. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts.

 

[SubZeroParticipant]

Are you saying you hope the Thunder get the 8 seed just so they match up with Golden State or because you think they’re actually in play to get the 8 seed? Because it’s way more likely that we get the 4 seed and beat the Clippers or some team and then play GS in the 2nd round, although I think we’re getting the 3 seed.

As far as the pairings go, I love PG with Russ. Anyone with eyes could see we needed 2 things last year: playmakers, shooters, and wing defenders. We just so happened to get 1 of maybe 3 guys in the league that are elite at all 3 things. PG has never been a guy that initiates the offense consistently every possession down the floor so there’s no reason to think that he wouldn’t be ok with Russ doing it, especially considering PG is lethal in off ball action and making plays off picks. And if Donovan knows basketball at all, he’ll stagger them occasionally in the between quarters to maintain the offense until they can close it out together. The one thing I’m curious about is what will happen in crunch time; I think Russ will keep it more often than not considering he was one of the clutchest players in the league last year, but I’m sure PG will get his fair share of opportunities. Plus, it’s way easier to complain about not getting the ball at the end of games when it’s CJ Miles taking the shot instead of the MVP

I have more questions about the CP3-Harden pairing. I think it could either be really good or really bad, and it all depends on how well and willing Chris Paul plays off the ball. I don’t know who gets the 3rd seed between these 2 but I’d bet it goes to whichever duo plays better

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 CP3 and Harden are as ball dominant as you can get.

Russ is a top-notch alpha go-to guy.  Paul George has been the go-to guy most of his career, but to me he looks more like a 2nd guy — a really good second option.  

Not sure PG will accept being the second option.  Russ will have to defer to PG but not as much as he did with KD.

It’s obviously Russ’s team and now he has a Robin that he needs.  

In a 7 game series I can see this team look GREAT 3 games, AVERAGE 3 games, and like a total disaster for 1 game.

On paper, a lot of this stuff doesn’t even look that good, and then you get to the real games and figure out, yeah, this isn’t going to work.

Obviously the Warriors looked GREAT on paper once Durant signed up.  Looked legendary when they really got it going.

LeBron-Kyrie: Too much of a power struggle.  Kyrie on his own team? Well, kinda?  Looks really good.  Could give Prime Tiny Archibald’s Stats a run for the money…  Hayward is a part of a Big Three… Either the second option or maybe a guy you run the last shot for.  I think Tatum belongs in there somewhere… if they could go SUPER SMALL with Kyrie, Smart, Hayward, Tatum, and a big (Horford?) then I think they would be in great shape.  They could obviously use some interior defense, elite rim protection, and they will miss Jae Crowder’s contributions, but I like what they are now working with.  

They need to add some bench depth inside, especially at power forward, but those guys are going kinda cheap right now.

Kevin Love makes more sense as a number 2 option.  Love is now LeBron’s Robin.  Rose and IT will figure it out, but I kinda like IT off the bench.  But, we will see what happens.  Both guys have been banged up, but they have a lot of talent.  

Cavs have firepower, defense, AND depth.  I can see them upsetting the Warriors this year.  And, with that Nets pick coming in I can see the Cavs going back to back, maybe even a 3peat.  As long as the Warriors keep winning, they are good.  BUT, as soon as they lose a title, then I can see Klay Thompson maybe leaving.  Or Draymond Green… or, that team looks a bit more top heavy and a little less deep than you thought it did.

In New Orleans, we are gonna see how the combo of Davis and Cousins does for an entire year.  They now have Jru Holiday at point guard, and added a couple of gritty/grindy ex-Celtics in Rajon Rondo as well as Tony Allen (1 year deal signed this week).  They are either gonna look really good or really bad.  Probably a mixture of both.  They should be slightly above mediocre by the end of the year, but that is a crowded trade right now with the Grizzlies, Jazz, Blazers, Nuggets, Thunder, and T Wolves.  Even the Spurs are one guy and a bunch of guys.  The Rockets are two guys and a bunch of guys (top heavy but they lost some of their role players).  

The West looks like a conference with a 70ish win team and a bunch of 45-48 win teams, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SmooveKRYPTParticipant]

You guys are overthinking the CP3 Harden pairing. It’s not like they’re going to be playing 35 mins a night together, they’ll be staggered. One will come out at about the 6 min mark of the first and third quarters for Gordon, then come back in to start the next quarter and run the second unit.

Russ and PG is pretty hand in glove on the other hand. Westbrook is going to have to sacrafice some, but if he really cares about winning he should have no problem doing so for a player of PG’s caliber.

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I think Houston will be the 3rd seed and OKC will be the 4th seed.

Westbrook has earned thee right to be alpha. PG knows this already and Im sure George will be happy to finally play with somebody that can lighten the load for him. George is a very smart player and has every offensive weapon you could ask for and should be able to have one of his best seasons offensively. His career shooting is 43% and 37%3pt which is boosted by last years career best 46% and 39%. I see PG playing off of Westbrooks lead and running the offense in iso himself depending on the matchup and having a career best season stats wise in OKC.

 

[BeastMode716Participant]

I LUV Harden as a player & personally, it’s just my personal opinion but I believe that if OKC had invested in Harden & retained him instead of Westbrook – I’m Not downiong Westbrook – he’s a Remarkable talent – I’m just saying Harden is equally amazing but a better "Fit" w/ KD 

Not only would K Dizzle fo Shizzle still be in OKC but they would have closed out Golden State in the 2016 Western Conference Finals AND 

defeated the Cleveland Cavs in the 2016 NBA Finals

James Harden’s pick & roll game is off the charts good – I would have Much rather seen Houston get an athletic Center who can roll to the Rim or step out & hit an open J as well as the defend the Rim ar the other end than signing CP3 who just is not a seemless fit in Houston

People keep saying "Oh they are Great players, they’ll figure it – u people are over-blowing this whole thing…" I Disagree – Fit Matters – no one is saying Houston will be terrible but they must operate at the Highest level to even have a shot at beating the Dubs who are a machine 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Celtics3178Participant]

 They could have had all 3 if they gave Harden Ibaka contract. Amazing drafting in that 4 year time frame. I was saying I just hope they got the 8 obviously OKC will be better than an 8 but a first round match up would be awesome to watch. 

[OhCanada-Participant]

The Harden and Paul offense is not complicated. They are just gonna take turns running iso pick and roll sets one as a primary ball handler and the next one as a spot up shooter. Its gonna work. Dont forget that Harden was a shooting gaurd every year of his career until last season.

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