—
Houston Rockets guard James Harden, formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder, scored 46 points against his old team Wednesday night.
Before the season, Oklahoma City made the decision to trade Harden rather than sign him to a large contract. After last year's collective bargaining agreement, salary cap and luxury tax restrictions have gotten more severe, and the Thunder already has Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook signed to long-term deals.
The deal made sense financially, and doesn't appear to have significantly affected the Thunder, which is the No. 2 team in the Western Conference more than halfway through the year.
But, while watching Harden score his career high in points against the Thunder, I couldn't help but wonder if Oklahoma City Thunder history will always include a series of what-if questions.
What if the Thunder had given Harden a bigger role while he was in OKC, instead of keeping him on the bench as the sixth man?
What if the Thunder had decided to give Harden a max contract, instead of paying Westbrook or Serge Ibaka?
What if the Thunder had just taken the salary cap hit and paid Harden what he asked for, for the sake of winning a championship?
It's still far too early to write the Thunder off as a what-if story. Durant and Westbrook are both very young, and will be the nucleus of a contending team for years to come. Oklahoma City will most likely be a top contender for a championship for at least the next three or four years.
But, if after five or six years, the Thunder has not won a championship, we will always have to ask "what if?" when talking about the early years of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And every time James Harden scored 30 or 40 this season and in the years to come, I know I'll be asking myself that question as well.
Oklahoma Sports
Related Photos
-
James Harden, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Houston, Texas. NBA.com
Discussion
BLOG: The "what-if" of James Harden
- Oklahoma Sports
-
-
Thunder season ends as fatigued Durant flames out
Whether it was frustration, disappointment, exhaustion or all of the above, Kevin Durant understandably hung a low head after Wednesday’s 88-84 loss to Memphis that saw the Thunder bow out of the NBA playoffs.
-
Thunder on the ropes after loss to Grizzlies on Monday
-
Stoops against recruiting deregulation
Early this month, the NCAA put the brakes on some rule proposals that would have deregulated college football recruiting. No limits on correspondence — written or verbal — were among the rules the governing body was prepared to ditch, along with moving up the age of when a high school player becomes recruitable.
-
Rockets beat Thunder to avoid sweep
The Houston Rockets finally found a way to close out a game in their playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
-
Westbrook out indefinitely with meniscus tear
-
Sooner tackle Johnson goes fourth to Philadelphia
When Lane Johnson played his last college football game in January, he wasn’t sure where his NFL stock was. Thursday night while sitting at Radio City Music Hall in New York for the 2013 NFL Draft, he had a much better idea.
-
Thunder holds off Rockets rally to win game two
Russell Westbrook relishes the moments when an opponent challenges him and his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates and it becomes time to respond.
-
Thunder rout Rockets in first game of playoffs
-
Leedey’s Ward signs with Sooners
Oklahoma’s baseball program received a highly coveted letter of intent Wednesday afternoon. Drew Ward, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound infielder from Leedey, signed with the Sooners. Getting him in an OU uniform next season, however, is far from a done deal.
-
Smart's decision a surprise to best friend, teammate Forte
Phil Forte was caught off guard when Marcus Smart filled in his high school teammate and Oklahoma State University basketball teammate and roommate about his decision to stay in Stillwater another year instead of opting for the NBA Draft.
- More Oklahoma Sports Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
