James Harden's court vision, passing draw rave reviews

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...uard-James-Harden-s-court-vision-10592289.php

ATLANTA - After the opening-night loss to the Lakers, John Lucas made his way around the locker room.

The former Rockets point guard and current player development coach offered the encouragement the Rockets needed at the time and told James Harden that Harden would soon break Lucas' team passing records. A part of Lucas might not have believed it.

Logic and the evidence of that night - when Harden opened the season with a career-high 17 assists, getting 14 in the first half to match one of Lucas' Rockets records - indicated Harden could put his name all over the team's record book and maybe the NBA's. But that was one game and Lucas was trying to lift a sullen locker room. But Lucas noticed a different feeling after Harden had his second consecutive 15-assist night Wednesday in New York.

"I'm envious," Lucas said.

It's a big club given the changes in the NBA since Lucas was playmaking in the 1970s, with charter flights, sky-rocketing salaries and offense-friendly rules. Lucas could have understandably been envious that Harden, 27, is 37 years his junior, Euro-stepping into his prime.

"No," Lucas said. "I'm envious because I thought I was better."

He's having a hard time making that case. Against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Harden became the first Rockets player to get at least 40 points, 15 assists and five rebounds in a game.

Against the Knicks, his 15 assists made him the second player in the past 15 seasons (along with Rajon Rondo in 2010-11) to get 15 assists three times within the first five games of the season.

Staggering numbers

His 30 points made him the second player in the past 10 seasons (along with Stephen Curry last season) to reach 30 three times in the first five games.

His three games with at least 30 points and 15 assists match the total for the entire NBA last season as the Rockets average 118.6 points per 100 possessions with the 6-5 Harden on the floor, tops among NBA starters.

As impressive, he has seemed to get those numbers in the past two games easily, without spectacular shooting nights for him or teammates, and with passes that were more about what he saw than did.

"He's really, really, really good. He's reeeeeeally good," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said, running out of superlatives in the season's second week. "He just sees the floor really well. He just has a unique ability to be able to play and notice stuff ahead.

"(Steve) Nash was like that. The great players, LeBron (James), are like that. They just see the game in slow motion or one step ahead. He plays at a very easy pace.

"There's no reason he can't keep getting better."

There have been subtle passes he has thrown to teammates who did not know they were open. He has sent pick-and-roll alley-oops when he seemed to be shooting, bullets to the corners when he seemed to be driving and bounce passes behind him to the 3-point arc when he seemed to be on a fast break.

"There are passes he does sometimes that make you think he might really have eyes on the back of his head," Rockets forward Ryan Anderson said. "I'll be behind him, trailing in for a play. He'll drive. There will be three guys on him. All of a sudden, he'll jump up and throw it right behind his head. I never played with a guy that can read that situation and make a play like that.

"There's definitely moments you're like, 'That's incredible.'"

D'Antoni in awe

Asked if there are times he feels that way, D'Antoni said, "Every game and every practice."

As much as is made of Harden, averaging a league-leading 12.4 assists per game, becoming Rockets point guard, the change is mostly about his title. He brings the ball up now, rather than having to work free to get the ball in the half court. But there also seems to be a change in how Harden sees himself and his role.

"The good thing about him is he sees the game as a point guard," D'Antoni said. "He understands where he wants players. He's doing a terrific job. Sometimes as a coach you look and go 'maybe I should come up with some novel idea instead of just letting him go down the middle all the time.' But his numbers are off the charts."

Maestro of the offense

Harden said he is learning his options against different ways teams have sought to get the ball out of his hands or rotate in pick-and-roll coverages. But looking things over while he brings the ball up has brought a greater feel for the options.

"When you watch in practice, he just has a command of the offense," D'Antoni said. "He knows where everybody should be and he can put guys where they should be. He does an unbelievable job of orchestrating the whole thing."

Lucas looked at Harden's start another way, giving him the ultimate form of praise a player of his generation could.

"He's old-school," Lucas said. "Ever since I saw him play, I thought he's an old-school player. What I've learned when he became a point guard, is his feel for the nuances. He has all of that. He sees things that other people don't see, like Magic Johnson saw things. James sees those things."

With that, Lucas looked down and shook his head, knowing the records he has left could soon be slipping away.

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seems like this Harden guy is pretty alright

 

I've seen him doing interviews where he says that he started his basketball career as a spot-up shooter, so probably no. But Harden was the de facto main point guard of the OKC, so that experience might have helped.

 

I don't know, one thing I like about MDA is that he seems way more eloquent and well thought-out than McHale ever was. I actually find myself enjoying listening to his post-game interviews, which was not the case with McHale at all.

Cool youtube channel btw.

 

I wonder what those people would say about this :

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Probably nothing.

Labels are hard to shake off and unfortunately most of the so-called 'NBA analysts' these days don't do their homework - a.k.a. watching the whole game - and instead get their precious basketball insights from few trending vine clips. Geniuses.