http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=12656025 Starting at ~26 min Interesting take on Harden's body type and how it is very difficult for him to be a good defender AND carry a team offensively. Suggests Houston has to pick either elite offense and bad defense or good offense and good defense. I tend to agree, which is why I have defended Harden's energy on defense. Not sure you can ask him to manufacture just about every offensive possession and play high energy defense. Seems like it would just burn him up quickly.
Agree, Leonard is just athletically more gifted compared to Harden, plus he doesnt need to carry the Spurs offense. But I think Harden is just more durable compared to Leonard.
Can't listen to it right now, but I disagree with the notion that elite offense is tied to bad defense. This assumes that James is the entire linchpin of our defense, so if he's not defending at a high level, we're a sieve. I'd say our biggest defensive problems come from down low unless certain people are playing and also from crap transition D, which is a team mental problem. I think elite offense and good defense is an achievable goal, but my take is that the defense can be there automatically if the guys really set their minds to it. We can be good defenders right now regardless of the offense. The elite offense is actually the thing that is questionable, because our offense is so Harden-heavy and so awkward. We don't play a good enough offensive game right now, but if the team worked better together and you add in James' contributions, we can clearly be at an elite offensive level without a tradeoff on defense. In my mind, the two are separate problems to tackle or perhaps a better offensive game would actually save more energy for defense. The offense has plenty of room for improvement.
This is the dumbest things I've ever read on the GARM coming from you, and that's saying alot. -How in the hell do you think Harden is so elite at body control? -How is he able to stabilize and shift directions at such an elite level? -How does he take contact in the lane against multiple guys twice his size and never loses balance and falls awkwardly? -How is he able to play 35 MPG as a high contact player and seemingly avoid injuries to his back, and lower body? Any meat head who has spent half a second with a real trainer will tell you that Harden has exceptional core balance and strength. Maybe Harden's stomach isn't aesthetically pleasing enough for you, and you want him to look like this - Spoiler But his look has nothing to do with his core strength. I could care less about how he looks as a male model. The guy is an exceptional athlete. Maybe not with the God-Given build of a Kawhi or Lebron, but as far as working with the build he has, he's done an impressive job training his body to do what he's good at. If your in it for the looks, I have a sport for you. Spoiler
These lazy NBA experts keep saying Harden doesn't play defense as their excuse for not voting for him. When did Curry become a great defender? Never. He gets a bunch of steals (2.0 per game) but Harden averages 1.9 as sg. So steals can't be the difference maker. I just wish they experts would stop using tired and lazy excuses for not voting for Harden.
And I get Bob Voulgaris' theory, but even Lebron James, a guy with the physical gifts as Kawhi if not more, wore down physically having to be the guy on both ends, and often with the Heat had his "Harden/2013 season" defensive moments. There are plenty of gifs out there for him too I'm sure. Its literally impossible for someone in the NBA to do everything for their team offensively and play defense at a Kawhi type of level 100% of the time. I'm all for the Rockets trying to hide Harden on offense, not because he's a horrid defender, but because I want his energy reserved for offense if he can do so. It makes what Harden has been able to do on both ends this year that much more incredible.
Bob is actually a pretty knowledgeable NBA guy but he is very opinionated. He never said Harden doesn't play defense. He was more of less sticking up for Harden's defensive game by explaining how the human body is capable of with a good/great athlete vs. a otherworldly athlete like Kawhi. It didn't sound as though Bob had even made up his mind yet about his MVP vote if he had one. Him and Bill were pretty torn on the two ways of defining MVP. -Best player on best team or -Guy who does the most for his team (WARP stat)
He needs to work on his post game this offseason. As for his conditioning...yeah maybe we should get some other playmaker so we won't have to be so reliant on him.
We don't need Harden to be a good defender to win a championship. We can hide him on the other team's lesser wings. As long as he's reasonably competent, it's fine. We do need somebody else who can create though. That's the one aspect of Parsons' game we're really missing this season. Amazing that Harden has still played as well as he has on offense with the level of defensive attention he's received. Need to get him some help.
The way people go on about Harden's body you'd think they were confusing him with Big Baby Davis or someone like that...
