Harden's Free Throw Attempts Over the Last 4 games

NBA is sick and tired of Harden haters complaining that Harden scores a lot just because of FTs.

NBA proving to the haters that Harden can lead the league in scoring with less than 5 FTs a game.

League finally showing Harden some love and respect.

 

Appreciate @Reeko bringing the facts. Kudos to you.

 

silver needs a congressional investigation into match fixing

 

Yea Thats why I,ve not been to a game this year. But I still watch and trying to keep the faith if I went and that **** started I would leave

 

I’m all for this.

Get the guy playoff ready.

 

Refs tend to swallow their whistles come playoffs anyway so I'm not upset at this, something to get used to during regular season.

My personal opinion is that refs started calling fouls differently for Harden, whether it be from pressure from other teams complaining, the NBA cracking down on 'boring' free throw basketball or whatever reason, he wasn't getting the calls he used to. Driving in and drawing fouls was no longer an effective way for him to score.

As such Harden has had to adjust his game accordingly and find other ways to win. I believe its easier for refs to swallow whistles due to his thick strength, so would take a decent hit to make him visibly appear to be fouled, although still a foul....

 

The difference is the teams that are getting screwed because the refs suck have it come back around and they sometimes get terrible calls that help them. With the Rockets its a consistent one way street on the officiating suckage.

 

Could you imagine how outraged people would be if that happened to Bron or Curry?

 

He’s in the paint all night long and, look, it’s just something that we’ll go through the proper channels and talk to the league office about it,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “But certainly, when your guy’s attacking the basket the way he is and getting zero free-throw attempts, it’s something that can be frustrating, but we’ve got to look past that. Like everything, we’ll deal with the proper channels and talk to the league about that.”

James scored 30 points while taking 27 shots, with nine of them three-pointers. And he didn’t get to shoot a single free throw.

“I’m living in the paint, and if you look at my arm right here, these are four or five [scratches] that happened the last two games, and they weren’t called at all,” James said. “And it’s not me just going to the hole, going to the basket. But that can’t stop me. It didn’t stop me tonight.

“No matter what, I got to continue to go, but being able to get to the free-throw line is something that allows our defense to get in good position. It sets our defense. It slows the game down at times. It gives us a good rhythm. It relaxes me as well. So, I know I’m getting hit, but at the end of the day I just got to keep going.”

look at how lack of free throws rattles even Lebron...now let him live Harden’s reality every postseason and let’s see what would happen...

 

And yet in those 4 games he averaged well over 40 points with insane efficiency so you fail Silver!

 

if harden's free throw rate from the last 4 games (0.181) were for a season, among people who have played at least 500 minutes in a given season the last 2+ years, it would be the 632nd lowest free throw rate, just behind anfernee simons from this year. harden's season-long FTr has dropped form 0.640 to 0.520 in just 4 games (jimmy butler's is holding strong at 0.660).

and don't forget, the 5 free throws against cleveland included 2 ft's when cleveland fouled to stop the clock (and 5 fta is already a record low for a 55 point game), the 6 against orlando included a tech, and the 4 against the spurs included 2 to stop the clock. so these free throw totals are actually generous considering over 20% weren't from game play. and considering harden's fga are up significantly in the 4 games. if you get gimme fta's and still set the record for fewest fta's in a 55 point game, i don't feel a real deep dive is warranted. occam's razor would suggest the starting date of the suddenly lower free throw attempts stretch is not a coincidence.

 

that was the hilarious one when i looked up the same stats last year. super-physical steph curry suddenly had a higher free throw rate than james harden after being doubled up by harden in the regular season. i think giannis also had a similar increase to curry (from a very high starting point, also). i would say only one guy gets treated this way, but luckily for us harden will have a friend to talk to, because i think westbrook had the 2nd biggest drop (or it might have even been westbrook worst and harden 2nd).

 

I watched the games and didn't deeply analyze it, but I think it is the scouting and teams are being told to foul him less. I'm not saying some calls aren't being missed

 

That's a HUGE 'if'. Care to place any wager on whether they do that or not?

 

Then...drive, don't expect any calls, and make the damn bucket.

 

LeBron is actually maybe the one other guy in the league who has a legitimate gripe, although I don't believe the reasoning for the non calls is the same. I think for LeBron, he's just so strong the refs don't see some of the contact as fouls, because it doesn't appear to impact his shot. Lots of foul calling isn't seeing the contact...it's seeing the reaction to the contact.