“…… In the past 15 games, James Harden has averaged 18.6 points and 5.6 assists per game, and it's hard to imagine that this is a stat handed over by a bench player, and Harden has proved that the Thunder are absolutely worthy of renewing his contract with a maximum salary in the summer, and the frightening thing is that he continues to improve, including his long-criticized defensive problems.

In contrast, Russell Westbrook is still the same Westbrook, his fast break is fast, his breakthrough is very lethal, but his organization has not improved at all, after 15 games, he averaged 17.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.5 turnovers per game, although the number of assists is more, but the organization effect on the court is obviously not as good as Harden.

Is James Harden a better playmaker than Russell Westbrook?

The answer, obviously, is.

It may be time for the Thunder to consider correcting Harden and trading Westbrook.

They don't need to have two ball-carrying spots on the court at the same time, and trading him for an off-ball pitcher or a strong interior player while Westbrook still has trade value is clearly a better option......

This article by FOX analyzes the structure of the Thunder team, and even lists some more feasible trading options at the end.

After this report was released, it also attracted a heated discussion among fans.

"To be honest, I didn't know Harden could play so well before this season, yes, I was the guy who questioned the Thunder's contract extension in the offseason, he punched me in the face, and now it's time for the Thunder to give him a bigger role."

"I'm Remi, and I love Westbrook a lot, but I think it's time to send him away, and Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are going to be good chips, and the Golden State people are going to agree."

"Upstairs, Curry has had a serious ankle injury in the past, but he's played a good game this season, and Klay Thompson has a lot of potential, and he's going to make the Thunder better."

"I think I could consider trading the Pacers' Paul George, who is the better wing defender who can take pressure off Harden and Durant on the defensive end, and his shooting is improving."

"Is it possible to try to make an offer for Rondo and Garnett of the Celtics? The Thunder are all scorers right now, and they need a real playmaker, and Garnett is still in form and can bring a lot of experience to this team. ”

"There's no doubt that Westbrook has a lot of talent and he's capable of being a big man in a team, but when you talk about it, I think it's really cool to trade him!"

……

The media and fans are in a state of uproar.

The Thunder lost 103-107 at home to the Spurs on this day, and they have lost all of their meetings with the league's giants this season.

Post-match press conference.

"Since the start of the season, the team has lost to the Cavaliers, Nuggets, Knicks, and Spurs, all of which are potential competitors in the playoffs, is there something wrong with this performance within the team?" The reporter's questions were quite sharp.

'No, it's not surprising, we're still grinding and improving, you saw four defeats, but you should have seen those 12 wins, and this team is more consistent than last season.' Tang Tian said calmly.

"FOX Sports recently published an article in which they argue that Harden is a better point guard than Westbrook and suggested trading Westbrook for a wing shooter or power center, what do you think about that?" The FOX Sports report sparked heated discussions, and reporters finally started asking.

Westbrook and Harden were both at the press conference, and the reporter's question instantly made the atmosphere in the venue weird.

Tang Tian sneered.

He had already read this report, and in order to avoid negative impact, he chose to ignore it directly.

If you really want to say that FOX is on the same page as him, this kind of article comes out and makes it clear that it is the heart of the Thunder team.

Those trade plans, Westbrook is not playing well now, how can those teams agree, take the Warriors as an example, they chose to sign Curry with a big contract when he was seriously injured, which shows that they rely on Curry, they have no reason to trade the young core, George is even more, that is when the cornerstone of the future team is cultivated, how can it be traded, as for Rondo and Garnett, it is even more nonsense, there can be no trade between him and Angie.

"Russell is a non-tradable asset for the Thunder, and he's always been in the Thunder's plans for the future, and no one would mind having both Elvin Johnson and Oscar Robertson, and neither will we." Tang Tian continued.

Tang Tian's firm attitude gave the best response to the outside world, and also reassured Harden and Westbrook.

After the press conference, Tang Tian walked to the office with the tactical manual, and Stevens followed from behind at this time, and it seemed that he had something to say.

Entering the office, Stevens closed the door and sat down in front of Tang Tian.

"Brad, what's wrong?" Tang Tian looked at his first assistant coach, in the past month, Stevens has fully proved his personal ability and really helped him share a lot of pressure.

"Russell's mentality is a bit of a problem right now." Stevens spoke.

"Huh? You want me to trade him too? Tang Tian looked at Stevens suspiciously.

As the general manager, he will look at the problem from a higher angle, Westbrook and Harden, Durant, Ibaka they have been playing together for a long time, and putting him on the shelf will have a great impact on the team's atmosphere, and it is not impossible for Durant to take the initiative to ask for a trade at that time, and secondly, from the perspective of interests, it is also stupid to trade the core at the lowest price.

"No, that's not what I meant, I mean you'd better have a good talk with Russell." Stevens shook his head.

Tang Tian looked up at him.

'I can feel that Russell is a very competitive player, and he is also a respectable player, there are no scandals off the pitch and he throws himself in the gym every day. Stevens went on to say that as an assistant coach, he usually has more contact with the players.

Tang Tian nodded after listening.

Speaking of which, because he holds several positions, he does not communicate with the players as much as before.

Stevens: That's a reminder.

He's still focused on coaching and he really should put more effort into that.

"It's Russell's birthday in two days, and I think that's an opportunity." Stevens continued.

Tang Tian looked at his assistant teacher and smiled, this Stevens is really like a caring little padded jacket sometimes.