Boston Celtics Rumors: James Harden trade intriguing, but no thanks
With James Harden trade rumors intensifying, the Boston Celtics are listed as a team who could make a real offer for the Houston Rockets star.
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has a strategy when it comes to obtaining top end talent. Sit back and wait for a top player in the NBA to become available.
He did it with Kevin Garnett, he did it with Kyrie Irving, he tried to do it with Anthony Davis and now may have a chance to do it with James Harden.
With the Houston Rockets reportedly ready to move on from arguably one of the top 5 players in the NBA, the Celtics have been listed as one of the teams who could make a real offer for Harden. Not only do they have young talent, they have draft capital that could intrigue the Rockets.
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But Boston Celtics fans have been in this situation before. In fact, there isn’t a star who has become available via trade over the past few seasons, Ainge and his team hasn’t been linked to.
So, what about James Harden?
Offensively, who wouldn’t want to add a player who is coming off a season in which he averaged nearly 35 points a game. Pair him up with Jayson Tatum and you have something special in Boston…potentially. But offense really wasn’t the Celtics issue in 2020. Their issue was on the defensive end and stopping big men like Bam Adebayo and Joel Embiid, a couple of big men who will be in their way once again in 2021.
A player who would probably have to be included in any deal with the Rockets would certainly be Jaylen Brown or any combination of Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward and draft picks.
Any of those other players thrown in, I say pull the trigger Danny Ainge, but if it is a two-way emerging star like Jaylen Brown, I say no thanks, and here’s why.
Due to the blossoming of Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics have a player who can take over a game offensively. He’s not as established as Harden, but he’s young and could turn out to be a better all-around player than “The Beard.”
Would James Harden adapt to Brad Stevens
What the Boston Celtics should’ve learned from the Kyrie Irving situation is that super stars of that caliber typically expect a team to adjust to them rather than the other way around.
The Irving experience did work for a little while under Brad Stevens, but by the second season it was apparent the young coach and super star player wasn’t on the same page. A similar situation could arise with James Harden.
Look, this is Jayson Tatum’s team and Danny Ainge will build around that. Harden is one of those superstars you go out and get if they can be gotten, but would that move bring a championship to Boston or are they in better shape with Jaylen Brown being Tatum’s batman along with a viable force down low who could lead the Celtics to battles against teams like Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Miami and Brooklyn.
The Celtics did make it to the Eastern Conference Finals with Daniel Theis at center, but they also go far because they played defense. That’s where James Harden can hurt, on the defensive end of the court.
While both the Celtics and Houston Rockets proved small ball can win playoff games, defense still wins championships, unless you have the best basketball player in the world.
James Harden has the offensive explosiveness to score with anyone in the league, but he isn’t the best basketball player in the world. He’s a shorter version of what the Celtics already have in Jayson Tatum, except Tatum is emerging as a two-way player and so is Jaylen Brown.
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Keep what you have Danny Ainge and add the big man piece you need. Don’t go chasing another superstar wingman who takes 20-30 shots a night. The difference between obtaining Kevin Garnett and Kyrie Irving was Garnett was a big man who added a presence down low both on the offensive and defensive side of the court, Irving was just an offensive force when his focus was playing basketball in a Boston Celtics uniform.
Coincidentally, one brought a championship and had the team in contention for a second. The other whined his way out of Boston. So, as intriguing as James Harden is…no thank you.