I think people are going to forget about d'antoni's role in harden's historic season, but to me it cannot be emphasized enough. d'antoni's offensive mind and harden's skill have created a monster that the league has rarely seen. The other factor in this is: the curry factor. Curry made it, not only possible, but very doable to shoot 10+ threes. All of these factors have lead to one of the greatest seasons we've seen in a while.
Without MDA he is still a 27-28 ppg scorer easily, just playing the 2 more than the 1. I think the Step back 3, going to the rim, Eurostep, that credit goes to him alone.
I thought about curry afterwards, but curry doesn't have a direct line to this season with harden like mike and james do. But curry is an ancillary figure in it.
28 points and 36 points average might as well be like going to the nasa space center or actually going to the moon. there is a reason why you don't see averages THAT high anymore.
don't hate on curry's role. before him, you don't see anything like this. he is very important to basically what we are watching now in the nba. he is, and was, mike jordan for the modern nba.
Harden has figured out the modern NBA, and no one has figured out how to stop him Harden could drop 50+ in our next game making it 3 straight, and it would not even be a surprise 40 points is the new 30 for Harden Harden has dropped 60+ twice, and he easily could’ve done it a few more times as well...both Memphis games, Brooklyn, and Miami come to mind I’m very excited to see how he does in this year’s playoffs
There is no hate to stating the obvious and facts. Eras change. I remember the early 90s and I think the late 90s. I remember those days when they would give out hamburgers for scoring 100 when the Rockets played even in the Steve Francis era. Now scoring 120 is normal, teams are scoring 130 or 140 now. As the previous poster said, Harden has figured out how to play in today's NBA completely. Today's Offense also helped create this monster that we have been witnessing. He started out with his 14-16 ppg on the Thunder, to 25-28 ppg under McHale to over 30 ppg under MDA. It's been a constructive journey. Non fanatics like me have come around to accept him going to the line that much, and now starting to attempt 20 three pointers a game.
Players change eras, and curry certainly changed the nba. Nobody wants to "be like mike," they want to "be like curry," you can't deny this. Did rule changes help? Sure. But a cultural shift happens because of people, icons that change it, not rule changes. Hand checking was banned 5 years before curry came into the league, and curry's historic season happened well-before the new freedom of movement rules. Why had we not seen another curry before then, if it were all rules? Look curry made the modern nba what it is, period. Harden is taking it to another level. Harden is kinda like hakeem was to MJ. Hakeem had the dream shake, harden has the step back which is only now you see kids doing it (Ja, for example) and his ability to get fouled. But Harden will not be an ICON like curry is and was, to most kids. (But this is a different argument, and my purpose for this thread was to highlight how Mike and James are a match made in heaven.) I don't think d'antoni actually thought that harden 50+ could work on a nightly basis, but I think he is becoming a believer in it the more that harden is doing it.
Shooters yeah but guys like Stockton, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash,and Ray Allen predated Curry. (Ray Allen attempted 8-9 3PA. Reggie 5-6 3PA) Even Curry's Dad Dell Curry was sort of a shooter, attempted five 3 pt attempts per game in his prime. They all paved the way for someone like Curry who made it easier for guys like Harden, and to a lesser degree Dame Lillard. Of course the media loves Curry and would make him a revolutionary. In truth he is just one of many.
I wouldn’t give much or if any credit to Curry for anything about Harden whatsoever. We will find out what kind of player Curry is when he has to do everything on his own or with just 1 other star. Curry and others will try to implement Harden’s game to keep up and NBA will try to keep Harden down. I credit Curry for high percentage 3 point shooting and quick release shot.
I think CP3 played an important role in Harden's maturity and leadership as well. Harden has taken advantage of all of the resources around him for sure. We are witnessing greatness in him prime
I'm still trying to figure out what this MDA system.is for James.....cause I dont think a hey games do everything without one play being called is a system but I guess lol. I credit morey more then mda for harden nbers
Half the time time dantoni ain’t even coaching idk if u saw but harden was on the seat with the clipboard in crunch time
I am sure he made improvements with Harden when he first started coaching here but lately not so much.
MDA is the only coach to just give Harden the ball and let him do whatever he wanted. No running off screens none of this let the 6'0 guy bring the ball up because he is supposed to be the PG nonsense. MDA should get credit for that. Remember the first day on the job MDA said he was going to make Harden the PG? The basketball world (including James Harden) laughed at him. Harden went on to be assist leader that year.
