James Harden

[Shelby65]

Can someone explain to me why no defenders force him to go to his weak hand side ?

I mean please, this is proof that nobody cares about defense in the NBA. Sure, he can shoot well from long range but he also gets at least 15 easy lefty layups a game.

 

[Kbee3]

Please...the guy is amazing. Give him some credit.

 

[NickRU714]

Please...the guy is amazing. Give him some credit.

I don't get why players don't just cover Stephen Curry closer around the 3pt line and not let him get shots.

I really don't mean to be snarky but come on.

 

[Rutgers25]

He’s one of the most unconventional/unnatural players I’ve ever seen. His two steps backwards off the dribble to set up a 3 pointer is so bizarre looking and it’s technically not a travel.

I’ve been an nba defender, but all the rule changes to promote offense has gone to far.

 

[Shelby65]

Curry is quicker and a much better ballhandler with better teammates, and without checking I would say takes half the shots Harden does.

Harden can only drive in one direction yet no one shades him the other way.

Pathetic.

 

[Jim_from_RU]

The NBA stinks.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I’d rather talk about who the Pittsburgh Pirates backup catcher will be.

 

[Kbee3]

I’d rather talk about who the Pittsburgh Pirates backup catcher will be.

Yet here you are ?

 

[PiscatawayMike]

I’d rather talk about who the Pittsburgh Pirates backup catcher will be.

We get it already. You're not a fan of the NBA. You make reference to it EVERY time a thread mentioning anything regarding the NBA is posted.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

The NBA stinks.

The NBA stinks.. but James Harden does not.

As for guarding his left.. its not like most defenders are right-handed and would have to guard him with their good hand/side... oh.. yes it is. Oh.. then its not like they can easily recognize the guy and think.. force him to go to his right... oh.. yeah, the beard.

 

[littlenis5]

Can someone explain to me why no defenders force him to go to his weak hand side ?

I mean please, this is proof that nobody cares about defense in the NBA. Sure, he can shoot well from long range but he also gets at least 15 easy lefty layups a game.

A nationally televised game a week ago, a defender tried this and forced him aggressively to his right every time. He still scored an efficient 40+.

 

[soundcrib]

He’s unguardable. Some people, you just have to hope they miss.

 

[NickRU714]

Curry is quicker and a much better ballhandler with better teammates, and without checking I would say takes half the shots Harden does.

Harden can only drive in one direction yet no one shades him the other way.

Pathetic.

Haha I love message board posts like this.
Lucky for you, I do like to fact check stats before throwing them out there.
Sorry but your claim about "half as many shots" isn't even close to being accurate.

Curry only takes 3 less shots a game while scoring 6 less points, playing less minutes/less games and like you said having better teammates even when all healthy (Chris Paul been injured and now Capella too).

Harden: 35.4pts on 10.2/23.4 shots
5.4/10.4 2pts
4.9/13 3pts
10.6/11 FTs
41 games played - 37.3 min/game
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html

Curry: 29.8pts on 9.9/20.2 shots
4.5/8.4 2pts
5.4/11.8 3pts
4.6/5.0 FTs
34 games played - 34.5/game
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/curryst01.html

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

He’s one of the most unconventional/unnatural players I’ve ever seen. His two steps backwards off the dribble to set up a 3 pointer is so bizarre looking and it’s technically not a travel.

I’ve been an nba defender, but all the rule changes to promote offense has gone to far.

 

[Groz]

Please...the guy is amazing. Give him some credit.

Did anyone see the most amazing stat I think I have ever seen in basketball? Harden had 57 and 58 points in his last 2 games and there were ZERO assists on all 115 points!!!

That stat is almost impossible to believe. I realize he has the ball in his hands 95% of the time, but to not have passed it to a teammate and then gotten it back and scored at least ONCE, is as I said, maybe the most amazing stat or non stat I have EVER seen in basketball.

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[RU_Planning]

Did anyone see the most amazing stat I think I have ever seen in basketball? Harden had 57 and 58 points in his last 2 games and there were ZERO assists on all 115 points!!!

That stat is almost impossible to believe. I realize he has the ball in his hands 95% of the time, but to not have passed it to a teammate and then gotten it back and scored at least ONCE, is as I said, maybe the most amazing stat or non stat I have EVER seen in basketball.

Best of Luck,
Groz

The Rockets are weird in that it is rare that a Harden basket is ever assisted, but 90% of shots not made by Harden are assisted. It’s a very weird blend of iso and beautiful ball movement.

The problem with Harden’s game is it doesn’t translate as well to the post season. The refs let more context go, therefor he doesn’t live at the FT line like in the regular season. Perhaps this post season will be different with a focus on freedom of player movement.

He’s really a freak of nature physically and athletically. You don’t really notice it until you see him live up close.

 

[satnom]

The Rockets are weird in that it is rare that a Harden basket is ever assisted, but 90% of shots not made by Harden are assisted. It’s a very weird blend of iso and beautiful ball movement.

The problem with Harden’s game is it doesn’t translate as well to the post season. The refs let more context go, therefor he doesn’t live at the FT line like in the regular season. Perhaps this post season will be different with a focus on freedom of player movement.

He’s really a freak of nature physically and athletically. You don’t really notice it until you see him live up close.

The problem with Harden’s style of play is that you’ll never win a championship with a volume shooter that has to bring it every night for four rounds of playoffs. This and he has quit on his team in the playoffs before.

GO RU

 

[Russ Wood]

Can someone explain to me why no defenders force him to go to his weak hand side ?

I mean please, this is proof that nobody cares about defense in the NBA. Sure, he can shoot well from long range but he also gets at least 15 easy lefty layups a game.

A lot of teams try to force Harden to his right

 

[Big East Beast]

Did anyone see the most amazing stat I think I have ever seen in basketball? Harden had 57 and 58 points in his last 2 games and there were ZERO assists on all 115 points!!!

That stat is almost impossible to believe. I realize he has the ball in his hands 95% of the time, but to not have passed it to a teammate and then gotten it back and scored at least ONCE, is as I said, maybe the most amazing stat or non stat I have EVER seen in basketball.

Best of Luck,
Groz

That’s insane.

 

[NickRU714]

Another amazing night for Harden in OT win against Lakers.

48pts
42min
14/30 (46.7%)
8/19 from 3 (42.1%)

0 dribbles with his right hand.

Uncanny how he is able to get all these points only dribbling left.
Someone should have told Coach Walton to force Harden right.

 

[zebnatto]

I see basketball in an old fashioned way, so to me JH creates contact that should not be rewarded and travels travels travels.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Can someone explain to me why no defenders force him to go to his weak hand side ?

I mean please, this is proof that nobody cares about defense in the NBA. Sure, he can shoot well from long range but he also gets at least 15 easy lefty layups a game.

Nobody in the NBA has played defense for at least 15 years, perhaps 20 years.

 

[Night Man]

Harden is extremely and equally good and maddening to watch.

 

[Groz]

Nobody in the NBA has played defense for at least 15 years, perhaps 20 years.

Another ignorant comment. Guess you have not watched any of the playoffs in the last 15-20 years. LOL

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[Rutgers25]

Another ignorant comment. Guess you have not watched any of the playoffs in the last 15-20 years. LOL

Best of Luck,
Groz

The 15-20 year comment is ignorant, but this year the D is pretty pathetic mostly due to rule changes

 

[NickRU714]

I see basketball in an old fashioned way, so to me JH creates contact that should not be rewarded and travels travels travels.

Its funny him playing with Chris Paul.
Paul is prototypical "old man defense" - constantly grabbing jersey and shorts, little pushes and nudges.

I think he committed about 26 fouls per game against Curry in the WCF last year.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Another ignorant comment. Guess you have not watched any of the playoffs in the last 15-20 years. LOL

Best of Luck,
Groz

Thank you for admitting that the regular season is a joke with no defense and players just going through the motions.

 

[NickRU714]

The problem with Harden’s style of play is that you’ll never win a championship with a volume shooter that has to bring it every night for four rounds of playoffs. This and he has quit on his team in the playoffs before.

GO RU

Thats the problem with depending upon Chris Paul.

If Paul stays healthy, they probably beat GSW last year. But he just cant at this point.

Then you are left with Harden needing 60 a night (which might actually happen) in the playoffs.
Maybe Eric Gordon steps up and becomes the #2 and they can manage Paul's minutes better.

 

[ScarletKid2008]

I’ll second that the NBA is a miserable viewing experience and just a terrible style of basketball.

And this comes from a huge basketball fan. I’ll watch any 2 random college teams, even lower level before I’m able to sit through an entire NBA game.

Refs / rules are awful
Way too many timeouts
It’s all 1v1 bball with minimal passing
It feels more like watching shooting practice half the time with how open guys are
Way way too many stops in the flow of action , too many timeouts per team along with the TV timeouts

 

[Groz]

The 15-20 year comment is ignorant, but this year the D is pretty pathetic mostly due to rule changes

That is more accurate. Probably have had more 140+ games by teams already this year than the last 10 years combined.

 

[NickRU714]

I’ll second that the NBA is a miserable viewing experience and just a terrible style of basketball.

And this comes from a huge basketball fan. I’ll watch any 2 random college teams, even lower level before I’m able to sit through an entire NBA game.

Refs / rules are awful
Way too many timeouts
It’s all 1v1 bball with minimal passing
It feels more like watching shooting practice half the time with how open guys are
Way way too many stops in the flow of action , too many timeouts per team along with the TV timeouts

I'm actually the opposite. I want to see great plays to get guys open and guys hitting shots.
I've never been able to get into college basketball.
Just cant take the rock fights and missed open shots in college.

The one thing that does bug me is end of game offense.
Seems like everyone - college and NBA - hold the ball and then chuck up a 3. Even if tied or down 1.

 

[NickRU714]

Same goes for football.
Very similar sentiments as on the football board regarding "Big 12" football, actually.

I want the same for both.
Amazing athletes doing amazing things that leave me going "wow".
That can occur on either offense or defense.

Problem is that a lot of people confuse "great defensive battle" with "bad offensive battle" in both sports.

 

[RU_Planning]

I’ll second that the NBA is a miserable viewing experience and just a terrible style of basketball.

And this comes from a huge basketball fan. I’ll watch any 2 random college teams, even lower level before I’m able to sit through an entire NBA game.

Refs / rules are awful
Way too many timeouts
It’s all 1v1 bball with minimal passing
It feels more like watching shooting practice half the time with how open guys are
Way way too many stops in the flow of action , too many timeouts per team along with the TV timeouts

You can’t honestly say you watch NBA games based on your comments.

Compared to other pro sports, NBA refs are elite and they have the most reasonable review policies and process.

They’ve cut back on time outs. Regulation games last a little more than 2 hours.

Assists are at the highest level in decades.

Guys are open because of excellent ball movement and the shooting has never been better.

Everyone used to complain that no one could shoot, now people complain that everyone can.

The revisionist history of 90s basketball is nauseating. The basketball was overrated because of the star power. Look at 2000s pre-Lebron and it is viewed as the worst basketball in the leagues history. It was the same as 90s basketball just without the superstars that we were so fortunate to have in the 90s.

 

[Night Man]

NBA guys get open because they space the hell out of the defense by being able to nail NBA distance threes.

The NBA used to bore and bother me, but in time I realized that most of the things I didn't like were products of the players just being too good, not lack of effort. It's just a different style. I prefer a high level college game, watching RU sometimes makes me want to stop watching basketball altogether but I love me an NCAA tournament game with a great college player or two on each side. NBA, some of those guys are too automatic for my maximum enjoyment but it's often great to watch these guys work. Only four things about the NBA still really annoy me, one of which (as someone pointed out here) has filtered down into the college game.
1) players who leave their feet for a shot and decide against it and pass the ball out before they hit the ground
2) lack of effort for rebounds and loose balls
3) James Harden
4) most endgame shots are ISO, where some of the greatest players of all time throw up some of the worst shots of all time (looking at you Kobe)

 

[RU_Planning]

Lefty take over...

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Wait, you’re wondering why you guys in the NBA don’t play defense?

HAHAHAHA!!

 

[Caliknight]

Harden can score a zillion points. He will never, ever win a championship.

 

[t_time]

Harden is a beast...and I would have loved watching the battles in the west if OKC never traded him to Houston.

 

[Rokodesh]

Harden should thank the lord every night that the NBA doesn’t call traveling, literally all he does.

 

[NickRU714]

You are all insane.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...rriors-ties-nba-record-10-straight-3-pointers

This was amazing last night (started right after the Rutgers game).

Watching Klay when he is "on"might be the most amazing basketball there is.
The way he gets those "boring wide open shots" is insane.