BBALLBREAKDOWN: Is James Harden Breaking the NBA Rule Book?

If you're in the space of the offensive player and impeading his progress towards the basket, it's a foul plain and simple. And when he hooks players, same thing, your arms can't be down in the shooters shooting space or it's an automatic foul.

 

ESPN and the media is just mad.

 

Everyone's mad because the honeymoon with Westbrook is over. Another series (especially if the Rockets lose, sadly) should smooth things.

To me, the fact that Lou Williams was doing the same for the Lakers shows it's not a Harden-specific rule. Just like the Euro step. And Kevin Durant used to make a living in OKC on the rip-through move. There are a lot of things I hate in the NBA but at the end of the day all you can ask is that it's called the same both ways.

 

Had Calvin Watkins tweeted something like Timothy Legler did, he wouldnt have let go by espn.

 

Harden will find other ways to beat you. Ain't even worried

 

"I hate it, I think it's awful. I hate doing it. Seriously. I think it's a pain in the neck, fans don't like it, I don't like it, nobody likes it. It disrupts the flow of the game. If there's an equitable way to get rid of it, I'm all for it. But it's part of the game. It's part of the rules now and if you think somebody can't shoot a free throw you might as well take advantage of it. If you think somebody can't shoot you don't guard him the same way. So [the strategy's] fair, it's just kind of ugly I think." - Popovich on Hack-a-Shaq fouling

I think this comment also applies in this situation. Being as it's my team, I love it, but if I saw it happening against us I'd be furious.

 

Roberson does not have right to squeeze through there. He has not established position and is impeding the progress of the dribbler, who has every right to continue dribbling in that direction.

That is most definitely a foul for attempting to go over a pick. The only argument is: Is it a shooting foul?

 

I think the play where the defender has his arms extended over Hardens body and Harden goes up with the quick shot therefor drawing a foul is legit.

I think the play where Harden hooks the defenders arm to draw the foul is a offensive foul.

 

I've watched many games this year using the opponent feed. There really isn't this huge outcry. The announcers all seem to be agreeing that it's a good play by Harden, especially as more and more players are doing it. There is the times where it's not as clear that the defender was caught reaching in, so they might question some calls.

But in general, if we are to give opponent TV announcers any credit, I don't really think there is a huge outcry, unless ESPN in inventing this.

 

Ronnie Nunn calling it an offensive foul, lmao.

Harden is just taking advantage of dumb defenders reaching.

 

The league needs to learn how to play defense. It's lazy to stick your arms out when you should be moving your body, period. Call a foul on Harden and you reward laziness. This will never actually work in the NBA's favor if they make the rule change. They're all fouls on the defense, the only thing that is in question is if it's in the act of shooting and if it's continuation. I believe the answer is yes in both cases. This old school ref was fired by the NBA for a reason. He shouldn't have any say on this. Stay at home @nunnbetterrefs. There are better refs than you and they're on the court.

 

I might be having a brain fart but is Tim Legler criticizing the call on this play? Because it sounds like he is criticizing Roberson for full pressing. He said a ridiculous foul not a ridiculous call.

Someone explain.

 

Good point. Unless Legler elaborated on some other medium, that sounds like he's saying Roberson made a stupid foul. Putting the tweets together makes it look like he's agreeing with the first tweet, but alone there is no reason to think he is.

 

In order to address if that motion that Harden does is a foul...have to ask? Is hand checking on the perimeter a foul? Lengthy defenders continue to extend their forearms onto the body of the offensive player, especially during screen and rolls...with the hopes of slowing the said offensive player from getting a clean break. Harden is just clever to realize that that initial contact by the defensive player would be a foul if he can maintain that contact by going into his shooting motion. There are a lot of times he jail bait hooks and then moves the ball into his shooting pocket. Harden has developed a "new" rip through motion...which should be a common foul and NOT a shooting foul. IMO.

Derrick Stafford was the first ref this postseason to call Harden for a hook and it happened in game 5.

 

I would be shocked if they didn't at minimum change this to a nonshooting foul. Nunn calling this an offensive foul has merit too. The defender has every right to be in his position.

The defender has the right to his space and arm position as well. In that Gibson clip Taj was not reaching, his arms were to the side and Harden himself moved into Gibson's space and hooked his arm.

 

You guys not worried about this!? Oh boy. It's a f**king hit piece!! This is going to go viral and Harden won't get any calls in the 2nd round. crap!

They mad cause James Harden knows the rules!

 

there is no outcry until someone makes a slowed down version of it on Youtube.. I'm scared, ya'll.

 

Firstly, he isn't the only one in the league doing this. RWB does it, Steph Curry does it, KD does it. Lou Williams does it.

In my eyes, defensive players get away with a whole load of pulling and arm hooking under the basket and those calls (which are actually game changing) don't get made. JH is a stellar offensive player using his craftiness to get a foul when the defense plays him really close.

Its not an offensive foul because the NBA decided against hand checks years ago and this is essentially a hand check coming around a screen. The defensive player is trying to reach over the screen and is unable to get to the offensive player thus he uses his hands to manoever around the screen. His body can't get there in time so he uses his hands to help.

If Lebron and Marcus Smart use the rules to their advantage to get calls then I don't see the problem here.

Either way, if there is a rule change, GSW and all other teams will be affected so I'm not really fussed.