Harden s intestines are about to regret! Su Qun hits the nail on the head

Harden is probably quite upset now. The Knicks officially confirmed that Bridges had a contract of 150 million for four years, with an average of 37.5 million a year. Look at the 2-year 81.5 million signed with the Clippers. The second year is still the player option. It only costs 40.75 million a year. It looks like it is not much different, but it is not the same thing when you look closely. Bridges is fully guaranteed. Harden has many incentive clauses in this contract, and it is not certain whether he can get it full. More importantly, in terms of strength and its role on the team, Harden is not necessarily worse than Bridges, but now compared with the contract, I feel like he loses no matter how he looks at it.

Let's first talk about the real benefits that Harden's salary cut brings to the Clippers. The Clippers' salary was already out of stock last year. Leonard's annual salary was 45.6 million yuan. If Harden insisted on a maximum salary, at least 50 million yuan a year would go up, then the Clippers would not be able to make up for it. As a result, Harden took a step back and put his salary to over 40 million yuan. The team immediately added more than 14 million yuan, which led to the operation of signing Big Lopez and trading to Bill.

Now look at the main lineup of the Clippers, where the data from last season is. Leonard averaged 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. When he was healthy, he was still the top five forward in the league. Harden himself had 22.8 points, 8.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds, and his assist-level organizational ability was at the league's assist king level. The new Bill also had 18 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the Suns last season, and he was not very good at scoring firepower. Although Lopez is old, he averaged 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and he can shoot 38% of three-pointers, which can not only protect the frame and open up space. These five people gather together, both on the offensive end and on the defensive end, and on the back of Leonard. If they stay healthy, they will definitely be the most scary lineup in the West.

If Harden did not cut his salary, this lineup would not be able to be fully matched. Maybe I can't get Bill and Daluo, so my strength will be 20% off. So for the Clippers, Harden's concession is equivalent to directly pulling the team from the edge of the playoffs to the ranks of favorites in the championship. Now in ESPN's championship odds, the Clippers have ranked third, second only to the Thunder and the Nuggets, which I couldn't even imagine half a year ago.

Let's talk about what Harden can get from the salary cut. The most direct thing is the chance to compete for the championship. He is 35 years old this year, and his peak period has not been a few years. He has been struggling with the Rockets, Nets, and the 76ers for so long, and he is just a championship away. The Clippers' current lineup is the most balanced team he has encountered in his career. There are scorers, defensive cores, space-based insiders, and the organizational system he is best at. As long as you stay healthy, the probability of reaching the finals is high.

, and Harden's position in the team is more stable. His voluntary salary cuts made both the management and teammates see it. People like Leonard who are not talkative have publicly said that Harden sacrificed a lot for the team. Now in the Clippers' offensive tactics, more than 40% of the rounds were initiated by Harden. Whether it is pick-and-roll feeding Daluo or passing the ball to Bill three-pointers, he is the absolute commander. This tactical core position may be more important than getting a salary of millions. After all, at his age, the championship and historical status are more valuable than short-term income.

Of course, the risks are also there. If the Clippers did not win this season, Harden's salary cut would be a loss. Next year he is 36 years old, and it is very difficult to get a contract with a big one. At that time, he may be given a maximum of 80 million in the free market for three years, which is much less than now. Moreover, his physical condition is also unknown. He missed 9 games last season. Although it is not much, it is still a question whether he can withstand the intensity of the playoffs as soon as the intensity of the playoffs is improved. Su Qun also believes that it is difficult for the Clippers to win the championship. If they cannot win the championship in two years, the team will be disbanded. This is what it means. After the Clippers signed Paul, who was 40 years old, his average age was 33.2 years old and became the oldest in NBA history. This step is completely contrary to the current trend. This year's finals are very obvious. The Pacers and Thunder are only 25.5 years old on average, setting the youngest record in the finals. The Thunder even became the youngest champion team at the age of 24.7. The Clippers may be able to compete with the Thunder and Rockets in the regular season, and even play well in a good ranking, but it is too difficult to pass four levels in a row to win the championship. This lineup is just a bet on the past two years. If you can't make it, you will have to disband. After all, the team of veterans can't afford to spend too long.

Now compare Bridges, it is obvious where Harden loses. First is age and attendance. Bridges is only 27 years old, at his peak, and has attended all three consecutive seasons. He played 82 games last season, averaging 36.4 minutes per game. This Iron Man attribute is too valuable. The Knicks is willing to give a big contract, which is largely a bet that he can still play at the peak of 8 to 10 years, and is cost-effective. Harden is 34 years old and has a 15 games a year in the past three years. The team must have to consider signing a long-term contract and dare not give too much guarantee.

and the value of data. Bridges averaged 17.6 points per game, which is not as good as Harden's 22.8 points, but his efficiency is more stable, with a real shooting percentage of 61.2%, and his defensive end can be defended from 1 to 4. He was selected into the All-Defensive Second Team last season. Although Harden scored and assisted higher, his real shooting percentage was 58.3%. He could only be considered average on the defensive end and was often targeted in the playoffs. When the team signs a contract, it not only looks at the total amount of data, but also the comprehensiveness and stability. Bridges takes advantage of this.

But then again, Harden is not completely losing. Bridges is a great deal for getting big money, but the Knicks' current lineup is at most Eastern Conference Finals teams, and it is difficult to win the championship. He may have been working with a high salary for a few years, but ended up empty-handed. Although Harden has fewer points, he has the opportunity to win the championship. Once he succeeds, his historical status can be directly promoted from a championless superstar to a championship-level point guard. His commercial value and honor after retirement will rise, which cannot be measured by millions.

After all, these are two options. Bridges chose to make sure that he would make money, and Harden chose to take a big gamble. Now I can't say who is right and who is wrong, I have to wait until the season is over before I can see the final decision.. But as of now, Harden's move is quite dangerous and courageous, but he is afraid that the Clippers will find it difficult to win the championship. Harden probably will regret it at that time. After all, for a player of his age, if you miss this opportunity, you may not have the next time.