If they go all, it is not only the East but the Championship.
Plus can you count on Kyrieās health over the course of the season and playoffs?
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Like you said. Harden lost two conference finals and is 31. His window is closing fast. Why wouldnāt he take a back seat?
I think this narrative of players only going for their own success, there is only one ball etc is a bit exagerrated. Nine out of ten times they do figure it out.
I know. But with the east Harden should be able to get a 1 or 2 seed and have a much better chance at making the finals. Gotta get that conference championship first, which he hasnāt been able to do. No guarantee, even with those 3, but they should be in a conference final as the favourites.
Only if he could.
If he is smart, he would not wait till 31 then have his character changed.
Has been a huge ego freak and stat paddler for quite a long time, and a 180 degree change and put his ego aside at age 31?
I want to see that.
They should, if KD and Kyrie can stay healthy.
The biggest obstacle for them is, if Celtics can get a big man.
I donāt think the Heat can repeat what they did last season.
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Yes they do but the alphas rise to the top. In a big 3 someone ALWAYS takes a back seat. GSW worked because Draymond is a perfect 3rd star, plays defense rebounds and distributes, he doesnāt care about how many points he scores in a game, kinda like a modern day Dennis Rodman. On Miami Bosh ended up taking a back seat and being the forgotten 3rd guy. I canāt think of a time where 3 scorers like that got on the same team and they all continued to average like 25 - 30 a game. Thats why 2 big stars with a good cast is usually a more well rounded team.
I still think they would win a ton of games and be the 1 or 2 seed out East, with a giant caveat, that they stay healthy. When is the last time Kyrie played a whole season? And KD is coming back from a career altering type injury. Then you wonder what type of system they are gonna play with Nash and Dantoni as his assistant. That gimmicky system has never won? Lots of question marks and I donāt think it would work out.
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It would be interesting thatās for sure, all 3 have so much offensive talent and all 3 can shoot.
They are also super good at one on one isolation.
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Suns get Chris Paul, I think with him and Booker in the backcourt they make playoffs.
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Not sure CP3 is looking for a ring, shame for a PG of his quality.
No team that will compete can carry his contract I reckon.
@Aussiegooner probably OKC and Portland out. New Orleans and Phoenix in I reckon.
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I still think if Dame, Nurk and CJ remain healthy weāll scrape in ahead of NOP.
A lot of that depends just how good Zion is year 2 though IMO.
The other thing could be if Rockets blow it up and Harden and Westbrook leave weāll probably make it over them.
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The sample size is very small. But New Orleans were a .500 team with Zion if Iām not mistaken. Now with van Gundy they have a coach with decent pedigree.
Lakers, Clippers, Utah, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, New Orleans and Golden State. I was already not counting the Rockets ;).
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Ah yeah forgot about the Warriors theyāll be top 4 with both LAās and Denver.
Iāll take 7 the same as you but have the Blazers over the Pels, when Dame, Nurk and CJ are all playing history suggests we go about .600.
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Philly should have the better package, no?
Hopefully heāll go to sixers.
Yeah youād think Philly could do like Simmons and Horford/Harris mix with some picks and thats better than what Brooklyn could offer.
Iād like to see Harden in Philly, but man those Harris/Horford contracts are looking really bad now 
Listening to some NBA insiders, they say that there isnāt a very big chance Houston is going to give up Harden. Houston arenāt going to let him go for nothing, they want a MVP caliber player in return for Harden.
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of courseā¦ who wants to give up the golden egg?