[The Splash DocParticipant]

This guy should be a starter in the NBA, he can defend, spot up, iso score, run the floor and create off the pick and roll. I’m hoping Chicago throws an offer at OKC this summer even though OKC is very high on him the right deal could get him here.

2 Deals I would look at

Thunder get- Ronnie Brewer and 2 1st(2011 and 2012)

Bulls get- James Harden

or

Thunder get- OJ Mayo, CHI 1st Rounder

Grizzles get- Ronnie Brewer, CHI 1st(2012), maybe add in Asik, maybe

Bulls get- James Harden

Either way I would love our 2011-2012 Line Up to be

F- Deng(14ppg and 7rpg) and Boozer(19ppg and 9rpg)

C- Noah(12ppg and 13rpg)

G- Rose(25ppg and 10apg) and Harden(15ppg 4apg and 5rpg)

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

I think both trades are useless.

The Thunder like Harden as their 3rd option on offense and why would they need Brewer when they already have a defensive minded swingman with Sefolosha.

Same with the Grizzlies, they already have Tony Allen and Shane Battier, they don’t need another perimeter defender.  Especially if it means giving up Mayo.  Mayo is going to be their trade bait for a big man if Gasol leaves.

Not to mention how ripped off the Thunder get in each of the deals.

 

The Thunder WILL NOT trade Harden.

[jerb2011Participant]

James Harden is starting next year 

[thparadoxParticipant]

 

Scott Brooks is (extremely slowly) learning that Harden is a starter. He will start on this team, or play 40 minutes off the bench

[JimmeredYaWabafetParticipant]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/2851814771_38b1ff5e57.jpg

[OhCanada-Participant]

I was just about to make a thread about him. I think he should come off the bench for the next series. Put Sefelosha on Terry (who usually is in the game for at least 32-minutes despite being a reserve) and bring Harden off the bench for some bench production. Terry said, "I’m trying to outperform their entire bench," Terry said after Monday’s practice. "That’s what I do."

 

[TyroberParticipant]

 Everyone knows that Harden is good enough to start but he is the leader of the second unit. Someone has the score off the bench and thats what Harden does.

I cant believe you think Ronnie Brewer and a 30th pick and another 28th+ pick in the draft is worth Harden. How did you even convince yourself that that was a good deal for the Thunder. That trade is insulting

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Harden was better than Sefelosha last year and the difference between them has gotten even bigger this year. The playoffs have shown that Harden isn’t just a legitatment starters, but is actually a good starting 2G. Sefelosha was a nice fit as a defensive presence with scorers such as Durrant and Westbrook in the starting lineup. But the guy is five year in to an NBA career averging 5 points per game. His defense isn’t good enough to make up for getting that kind of non-production out of the 2G spot. A great defensive center or power forward can do that, but at 2G, that basically means you are not good. So we have seen the last of Sefelosha as a starter playing starter minutes in this league.

Also now that Ibaka is in instead of the traded Jeff Green and Perkins is on the starting unit as well, there are already great defenders in the starting squad. Harden can come off the bench for now just to not mess with lineups, but it is purely cosmetic. He is going to play starting minutes for the rest of the playoffs and he will finish games.

[TyroberParticipant]

 Sefelosha doesnt have to score. He isnt asked to score. He is asked to guard the other teams best defensive player and does a good job at it. Thats his role and his role is best served in the starting lineup. Harden is easily the better player but Harden is great at coming off the bench

[futureGM22Participant]

 The Thunder wouldn’t give up Harden to get Kendrick Perkins. They definitely wouldn’t do it to get OJ Mayo or Ronnie Brewer. Harden is a selfless player willing to come off the bench and fit his role even though he was a top 5 pick. That’s the kind of player OKC (and every franchise) covets. He knows his time to start is going to come.

[sacphil_08Participant]

The reason harden doesnt start now is mainly because he is WILDLY inconsistent. Kudos to him for performing well in the last series but overrall, he is very inconsistent. He’ll score 18 of the bench one game, and then score 4 in the next. His confidence is his biggest issue at this point. Having said that, okc is very high on him and he does anchor their second unit, and he SHOULD eventually start but he is very inconsistent. Also if he doesnt come off the bench and sefolosha does, they have little to no punch offensively off the bench which will be huge for the thunder especially in this series against dallas.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Considering how young Harden, Durrant, and Westbrook are they could probably all play 40 minutes a game, especially in the playoffs with extra days rest. Because of that, I don’t know how much of a bench the Thunder really need. Harden might be inconsistent but he still seems consistently better than Sefo. I will take 18 points one night and 4 the next over just getting 5 points a game night in night out from my shooting guard. I know Sefe is supposed to be this great defender, but his career average is 8 points per 36 minutes and we are talking about a guard. He can’t stretch the floor with 3s, he doesn’t get assists, he rebounds pretty good for a guard, but not crazy good. Obviously doesn’t block shots. He does get steal, but again not crazy numbers there. Can his D really be good enough to make up for the fact that he gives you pretty much nothing else?

I didn’t catch too many Thunder games this season, so I’m much more biased based on what I’m seeing in the playoffs. Harden looks like the much superior player.

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah my thing is, Harden provides scoring off the bench and some facilitating potential as well. Sefolosha is an elite perimeter defender (last season he was probably a top 3 perimeter defender) and he’s young. Harden obviously is a better player overall, but does OKC need Harden to start games? Why not continue to bring him off the bench when you have a great defender like Sefolosha? It’s not like they are hurting for offense with Durant and Westbrook out there. Harden is solid, but he fits perfect as a 6th man from a skill set standpoint. He possibly was a reach from a draft pick view for his prototypical role, but who cares about that this late in the game? He’s not the most consistent player, and he wouldn’t be effected by minutes playing off the pine as he already proves capable of playing starter time and Sefolosha can be used to play reserve time as a starter. Scott Brooks makes some head scratching decisions, but I have 0 problem with the Harden off the bench and Sefolosha starting decision. Unless, of course, Sefolosha just starts playing shaky D all of a sudden. He can’t afford that lol. But, you know, that’s highly unlikely.

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