Tim Legler: Never Seen A More Irrational Fear of James Harden's Step Back Three

James Harden produces fear. Irrational, rational. Has the world gone mad? He’s a bearded pussycat. A lion that roars. The entire league seems to be copying what he does, while condemning what he does. The step back.
Should he step forward, instead? What does it all mean?

Should we care? Is it fair to care? Should we care if it’s fair to care? I think not, but it’s a knotty problem.
It all comes down to this. It may be weird, but they fear the Beard.
Like Samson and his hair, the Beard’s beard has power.

It is known.

 

The shot was compared to the Skyhook and Dream Shake this season as one of the most unstoppable moves ever. To fear it, is not irrational. I think we'll see the same D from the Warriors.

 

I'm sure I saw a stat saying that an offense consisting solely of Harden step-back threes would be a top 5 offense in the NBA.

Can't wait to see what he adds to the bag for next season.

 

So is the next tactic used against him going to be the Delilah Defense?

 

He shot 40% on step back in the first round.

 

Shave it off while he is deeply asleep. Works! He will feel naked. Lion wo. the mane.

 

All I got from this is Rubio looked so dumb "guarding" harden.

 

Wasn’t there a quote from a few general managers that they respect the Greek feak but they FEAR the beard?

 

ESPN: The Beard is a terrorist! Don't give in to terrorism!

 

If the Warriors try to emulate the Jazz defense... Then the Warriors might as well lose to the Clippers. The Warriors don't have the defensive ability to do it.

 

It is his power.
He must cast out all doubt.
He must never pout.
Destroy our enemies, lay waste to their hopes, put an end to their schemes.
It is our time, it is our dreams that will live and their own that shall die
on the wooden plain of combat.
Their tears cloaked in despair
amid our tears as we rub away from our eyes
the grit of joyful victory.
The Beard shall lead us there.
He is ready.

 

Has there ever been a player in the history of the game with this many videos/tutorials about how to guard him?

 

Wow, that's a great percentage...it's crazy that Legler doesn't mention this while also mentioning his floater that he missed a ton of this series. He's obviously not a big fan of homework...

 

The way Harden was shooting the floater this series, Rubio forcing a (long) floater in that scenario rather than a step back three is not a bad tradeoff. I usually like Legler's analysis, but I kind of disagree here.

 

Good analysis. I wouldn’t call it irrational though. He did explode with step back 3 and everything in between the rim and 3 pt line. Rubio doesn’t have the benefit of a monitor to make that read. He probably wasn’t even aware the clock situation and their defense stance at the moment. That would require too much discipline. If he were that good, they would beat anybody. That’s also why the Warriors is so hard to guard.

 

fear the beard is real thing in this league

 

Bunch of biblical gangstas up in this thread