Harden is Shaq-like at the SG. He is so strong and so big that guys have to hammer him for the foul to register when watching at normal speed.
I don't think he tried to draw fouls all the time. At times, sure. But he's not a Kevin Martin type player. He's not out their pump faking and leaning into defenders and swiping up under their extended arms like he's trying to take a jump shot. He tried to actually make his shots much more often than not.
Agreed. We don't get to see how many reps he's put in on his euro step, step back, etc. On the other hand, watching Harden play, it looks like his reaction time is insane. For example, check out these two between the legs plays. That's not something you put reps on. Spoiler <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5uqJaSH3e2o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Spoiler <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/G2lNqSs7sjE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> I've heard athletes say that time slows down in critical moments. It definitely looks like Harden is playing in bullet time out there sometimes. Here are a couple of links on the topic of athletes' perception and the subjective passage of time.
I disagree. While both enjoy shooting efficient shots, that's where the comparison ends. Harden is a ball handler and playmaker, while Martin was an off-ball shooter that relied actively creating contact.
You ignored the point being made by that statement. He's not trying to draw fouls, but he is trying to draw contact. There's a difference. If he were only trying to draw a foul, you'd see so much more flopping on drives. Instead, you see more no-calls on hard contact than anything that can be considered a flop on his part during those drives. Now I'm sure he tries to draw contact so that a foul is called, so sure, he's trying to draw a foul. But that's not his message. He's playing to draw contact, not to draw the foul.
Yeah, Harden is the master at showing the ball and it's just too tempting for defenders to take a swipe at it, and end up with all arm.
In prior seasons I saw more of the lawyer ball that Martin plays. Honestly this season Harden has been taking it strong and getting fouled. He does chunk it up under people's arms but that's usually after the whistle which is something most NBA stars do. Dwight gets to the line almost as often as Harden but I don't see anyone accusing him of flopping.
