What Would You Grade James Harden's 2018 Postseason?

Gave him an B+, but I know standards are so high for him.

I just wished he had a few less mental lapses (turnovers, taking long to get in to the offence and shot less contested threes).

Having said that, the irony was that Chris Paul was brought for the moments Harden starting making these mistakes and I'm certain in my mind that with him we pull out a series win in 7.

Oh, he deserves a A+ for effort and defense.

 

I gave him an A plus. I mean for a league MVP how can he be an average B?

Reasons for an A plus
1. His performance (obviously)
2. His attitude/leadership
2. His coexistence with Paul

 

Thread title says "postseason" not regular season + postseason.

 

B- seems fair to me.

He set the bar based on his regular season play. He didn’t meet it. Most star players don’t.

 

C seems about right for KD and Curry... that is to say 'average superstar performance'.... C is average - and they are 'superstars' - so C seems right...
I'm not giving Harden a B- as compared to PJ or Ariza or other roleplayers... he's a max money superstar - he is graded on another level...

 

B minus. Played solid defense and good offense and tried his butt off. That is all you can ask for

 

Very Westbrook like... gotta give him a C-

 

It's clear that the defensive intensity affected his ability to score. But he's going to have to adjust his game to that if he wants to win a ring. I believe he will make that adjustment.

 

Hmmmmm....

I guess series by series...
Vs. Timberwolves A
Vs. Jazz. A-
Vs. Warriors. B+

So maybe a 3.75 GPA?

I tell u who gets the A plus is Tucker.

 

They probably should, there's no doubt who is more valuable to their team. Harden isn't in Lebron's universe.

 

Yeah Tucker impressed me a lot. He is a keeper.

 

I gave him a B because I know he can play better, and he will play better if he continues to add to his game. He really needs to improve his efficiency and limit the contested threes.

His dunk over Draymond is an A+ and is one of the most unforgettable moments in Rockets history.

 

I gave him a B +. He did great and thats still a very good grade. Im a huge harden fan and screw anyone that says he choked or underperformed.

He is a superstar and im just reserving A for otherworldly transcendent performances. Fair or not thats how i graded.

 

I was somewhere between A to A-. His defense and effort pushed me to A.

 

B-

 

Nah.

4th seed in the East? He probably would’ve gotten a gentlemens sweep in the 1st round if they were in the West.

What’s up with your recent constant jabs at Harden? Is there someone else you’d like on the team? A hardworker who doesn’t complain to the refs like Mike Conley?

 

C +

Defense was mostly there, so his score isn't a complete travesty considering the horrific shooting. Turnovers weren't too bad either.

 

Smith: James Harden’s playoff shortcomings keep him from the ranks of the great

[...]

They led 39-22 after the first quarter of Game 6, owning the hardwood inside a shocked Oracle Arena. They were up 15 points with fewer than five minutes remaining in the first half of Game 7, as a shaking Toyota Center aimed for a new sound record.

But Harden’s Rockets scored just 25 points in the second half of Game 6 and 38 in the second half of a season-ending Game 7. In both contests, one of the league’s greatest offensive weapons shot a combined 22-of-53 from the field, 6-of-25 on 3s and committed 14 turnovers, fading hard in the second halves, just like his team.

One of my first thoughts after the Rockets fell short of the NBA Finals for the 23rd consecutive year: Harden is good. But he isn’t great.

The question almost a decade into his pro career: Can he be?

[...]
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[...]

But even with Harden’s improved defense and the fact the Rockets require more from their primary star than the loaded Warriors do from Stephen Curry and Durant — only the Cavaliers’ James does more for his team than Harden — it’s impossible to ignore the off-target playoff numbers.

After shooting 44.9 percent from the floor during the regular season — his highest mark since 2013-14 — Harden didn’t shoot above 41.5 percent during any of the three playoff rounds. His 3-point percentage also fell as the intensity increased: 29.5 percent in the second round versus Utah; 24.4 percent against Golden State.

And after 62 postseason games with the Rockets, a trend has developed for the franchise’s most important asset. Harden is shooting just 41.2 percent from the field and 31.5 percent on 3s in the playoffs since he arrived in 2012; almost all of his key stats are off when compared to his regular-season totals.

Even with an improved roster that caters to his strengths, Harden has been unable to come close to those numbers. For a volume-shooting team that is fascinated with statistics, the disparity between regular-season and playoff Harden can’t be overlooked.

He’s clearly one of the game’s greatest modern players. My current top five: James, Durant, Harden, Anthony Davis, Westbrook.

[...]
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[...]
After six seasons in red, Harden pushed his Rockets within one half of the NBA Finals. If his team had made the final round, I believe Houston would have soon been hosting another championship parade.

Harden is good.

On June 25, he should add an MVP award to his growing list of personal achievements.

But until the Rockets go further and Harden replicates his flashy numbers in the playoffs, one of the greatest players in team history is a level away from truly being great.​

 

Harden is a baller! The play off choker narrative he accrued (which is quite unfair) needs to die. The man basically ended up playing the world champs with mout help for game 6 and game 7. Just only so much you can do before you run out of juice against 4 all stars.