If Harden wasn't a Rocket would you still be a fan of James Harden's game?

I wouldn't like it, but I would respect it.

Take Lillard for example. I hate him on the court, I hate watching him play, he is the deadliest point guard on offense. He doesn't shy from contact, and he can make almost any shot. If he learned a lick of defense he could be an all time great. I respect him.

The same could be said about James. He holds the ball out knowing he is going to get hacked, gets hacked and finishes. The guy doesn't shy away from contact and doesn't play basketball like an MLS player. He irks and jerks, but he goes in for contact. I respect that.

 

If a unbiased knowledgeable basketball fan judges players on who is a better ft shooter, 3 point shooter, post up player, mid range shooter, etc., what's the foremost common criteria to they base their decisions on?

 

The guy gets battered. Look at his arms, he gets scratched and gnawed on... and don't blame it on the big booty strippers, those girls do that to his back not his arms.

At the end of the day, Harden isn't afraid of contact. Does he embellish? Sure as **** he does. It's like saying WWE wrestlers don't get their asses kicked because it's all pre-planned. It still hurts, and while Harden does irk and jerk to get the call he still gets knocked hard on every play. I respect that more than some illegal screen dodging weak ankled bay area player.

 

Yeah, Harden's not doing any windmills, but clearly he is making a very similar number of shots at the basket as Kobe. He also is probably near the same volume of those shots as well. Thank you for providing these numbers. They are telling that Harden is very good at finishing at the basket.

 

Morey would love you

 

just what.. this is the worst argument I've ever heard. You posted stats that's against your argument, and then you posted some random videos of Kobe doing flashy stuff.

 

lol PER

You do know the further down this road you go, the bigger the idiot you look like, right?

 

If Harden was doing the same things he is doing here in Houston, pretty much doing everything for his team to remain somewhat competitive, I would definitely admire his play.

I probably wouldn't be the fan of him I am right now and more critical of his faults but there should be not denying of his game.

 

Hard to say. If he wasn't playing for houston then the only consistent exposure to him we'd get would be in the form of bad defense vines and articles trashing him.

Thankfully I've seen enough to know he has serious game and I find it enjoyable to watch. People complain too much about what amounts to about five trips to the line per game.

 

You don't have to be a fan of Harden's 'game' to appreciate that he's a great basketball player.

I get that he's not as flashy or enjoyable to watch as other superstars in this league, but he's still one of the most efficient scorers out there, even without the help of free throws.

One way to gauge this is by looking at eFG%. People point to his regular FG% and argue Harden is not efficient, but that is not fair to a player like Harden who attempts a lot of 3s in a game.

Ray Allen's career FG% is only about 45%. Does that mean Ray Allen was a chucker too? No, if you take a lot 3s, then your overall FG% is bound to go down compared to players that mainly rely on 2 pointers, since the 3 point shot is more difficult to make, obviously.

That's why eFG% - which takes into account that 3s are worth 1 more point than 2s - is more accurate way of measuring a players overall field goal percentage.

As of now, Harden's career eFG% stands at 51.7%.

Let's compare his number to other great SGs of the past and present :

Micheal Jordan : 50.9%
Reggie Miller : 54.4%
Kobe Bryant : 48.2%
Allen Iverson : 45.2%
Tracy McGrady : 47.0%
Vince Carter : 48.8%
Ray Allen : 53.0%
Dwayne Wade : 50.1%

Jimmy Butler : 48.3%
Klay Thompson : 54.0%
Demar DeRozan : 45.6%


Barring the 3-point specialists (Ray, Reggie, Klay), Harden is actually the most efficient offensive two-guard we've seen in recent times. And that is not including his ability to draw and make free throws - which is factored into calculating TS% - and we all know that Harden's number is excellent in that domain also.

So no, I don't have to be fan of his game aesthetically wise. But I've always thought he was an underrated and under-appreciated player since the OKC days, and that judgement has not changed one bit even to this day.

 

Why do you think someone's raw eye test athletic ability are better at determining finishing rate around the rim than actual statistics.

Is Jason Richardson and Zach Lavine the best finishers around the rim then by that logic.

Athleticism makes you have more tools to finish around the rim, yes, how you utilize those tools to actually score with efficiency is another thing. Is Steve Nash automatically a bad finisher around the rim because he can't dunk in a game, is Curry a worse finisher because he can't reverse windmill.

 

It is clearly apparent that Harden is one of the key reasons there is a terrible coaching staff to begin with. McHale clearly expressed that Harden had alot of pull, meaning he doesn't want a tough strict coach to turn this team around. He wants to play liberal basketball. Morey, Les, and Harden implement a system where a coach can't do much... It's a tough truth to face as a fan of this team.

 

Arguing aesthetics? Go talk to Spurs fans and see if they have any issues with how flashy Duncan is.

A great coach and team really changes everything and Harden has neither of those. And if someone mentions him getting rid of McHale as a reason he doesn't have a great coach, go home cause you're drunk.

 

So half of you guys enjoying what you see here? Give me play-off T-mac..