PAY TO PLAY
In the era of super teams in the NBA, if you have a star of James Harden’s caliber, it makes sense to hold tight
The face of the Rockets sports a beard.
And it will for the next several years.
If there was any doubt James Harden was the guy, it was erased Saturday when the team announced his four-year extension.
This isn’t just any deal for a star player.
It’s the richest contract extension in NBA history.
Harden is the guy, the one all the Rockets’ hopes and dreams are pinned to for the foreseeable future. $228 million. It’s a lot of dollars to wrap your head around.
But in today’s NBA, it makes sense. A lot of it.
If you have a star in this league, hold on tight. Coming off a career year
Harden, 27, is coming off his best year in the league and during the regular season, it’s easy to argue he was the best player in the NBA.
He led the league in assists, averaging 11.2 per game.
He was second in scoring with a 29.1 points per game average. For the third straight season, he had career bests in points, assists and rebounds (8.1.)
The Rockets averaged 56.2 points per game off his scoring and assists and he became the only player in NBA history to score at least 2,000 points, dish out 900 assists and grab 600 rebounds in one season.
And there’s no reason to think he can’t get better.
This is a move a lot of people will opine on, but it is a smart one for the Rockets.
If the last few weeks of the NBA offseason have taught us anything, it’s the league is trending toward the super team.
Stars are jumping ship and heading to other teams to join forces with other superstars in an attempt to upend the Golden State Warriors.
So the teams that have franchise players would be wise to hold on tight.
Do what you can to keep them in place and draw the other stars to your team.
Harden does have his faults. He does have growing to do.
It’s impossible to not think about his no-show in Game 6 against the Spurs in the postseason.
The lack of energy and effort from the Rockets’ heart and soul in a huge game was problematic.
But Harden’s upside far outweighs the couple of hiccups during the season. Recruiting value enhanced
It’s more than numbers with him.
One of the ways super teams are forming is through player recruiting.
Chris Paul ended up in Houston largely due to Harden. So did Dwight Howard a couple of years ago.
Harden’s reputation among other players in the league is positive.
Several call him the toughest they’ve ever guarded.
A couple of seasons ago, he was voted Most Valuable Player at the Player’s Choice Awards.
His teammates say he’s the best they’ve ever played with.
In an article penned by Trevor Ariza for The Player’s Tribune, he said: “But numbers aren’t the whole story with James. Problem is, even though I know James really well, it’s very difficult to put his game into words. It’s hard to describe the profound way James Harden changes the game of basketball when he’s on the court. It’s not easy to capture the way he can see two or three steps ahead of everyone else. James is unlike any player I’ve ever played with.”
It’s worth noting Ariza won a championship with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
By extending Harden through the 2022-23 season, the Rockets have kept their best piece to draw more star power in place.
If you’re trying to take down the Warriors, you look at teams that have a solid foundation. The Rockets with the Beard leading the way have that.
In the last couple of weeks, teams are making major moves.
The Rockets had one of the biggest (and best) with acquiring Paul. The Thunder sent out shock waves when they signed Paul George and Minnesota will look completely different next season with Jimmy Butler leading the way.
The Warriors stayed stout and will be the team to beat but others are working to close the gap. Bodes well for Bayou City
It’s possible Paul won’t be a Rocket for 2018-19 and that Russell Westbrook and George will share a moving van and relocate to Los Angeles that season.
But Harden will be a Rocket. And that bodes well for the Bayou City.
The Rockets had already committed to Harden.
That was taken to another level this weekend.
Houston, you have your franchise player.
The Beard is here to stay. jenny.creech@chron.com twitter.com/jennydialcreech