Over the last few games I've seen many posters complaining that Harden doesn't really push the pace and bring the ball up quickly. So I'd like to help the posters that believe this understand why it appears that way. The first thing that must be understood is that Harden and Westbrook are not similar players at all. Every move that Westbrook uses is imposing his unprecedented athleticism on the opponent: Quick short moves Straight attacking North-South Mainly attacking in transition Moves don't work if you're not extremely fast/quick (which Harden is NOT) Uses speed to get the defender off balance Uses speed to open up passing lanes Eurostep is explosive change of direction while maintaining speed Speed changes are slow to fast or fast to faster Harden does not have that level of athleticism and must rely on craftiness and a mental game to trick defenders: Most iso moves come off of between the legs -> crossover x2 Eurostep can come in transition or in the half court set and use implosive slowdown to fool defender Each move builds off of a previous move so that they form a web of possibilities the defender must account for Harden uses his strength against defenders rather than speed Read and react is crucial part of developing his offense Works out of the triple threat position Holds ball out low and strong so that defenders are visually tempted by it Uses hesitation out of dribble moves to further lull defender to sleep Entire game is based on misdirection Body control and deceleration are crucial to attacking off the dribble Ball fakes and head fakes against the body's momentum stun defenders Explosion is delayed to get defender out of rhythm Harden's elite skills are the ability to slow down rapidly, his passing, and his ability to mentally outfox the opponent over the course of the game. Harden is not Westbrook, and he will never be Westbrook because he is not the explosive athlete that Russ is. To the untrained eye it seems like he's just standing there dribbling, but what he is actually doing is playing chess with the defender before making his strike. This is why players constantly say Harden is the hardest to guard/best offensive player yet other teams fans say that he is "boring and hard to watch". If you didn't read, do not comment!
I do notice a difference between Harden now and Harden back in 14-15...he does not have the same lift, speed, or athleticism that he had back then.
Harden likes to dribble up the ball slowly and wait till shotclock runs out which leads to a TO or a last second 3 point chuck. Notice when Bev is running the 2nd unit, he's always pushing the pace and clippers struggle to defend us? Thats what Harden should be doing but he doesn't since he plays at "his own pace"
He's stronger and more durable now. He's better equipped to deal with taking the contact from defenders.
So instead of trying to incorporate the information presented into how you. view how Harden operates on offense, you decided to make a judgement call on what you think Harden should be doing.
I appreciate Harden, but I'm guilty of thinking he is playing too slow at times. Harden's game is not built for prime time. His game is way too nuanced. This is why fans and media don't like him; they can't see effort. Every move in his arsenal is built on guile and cunning. Harden's game is perceived as too exploitative for him to be universally loved. Harden's methodical, plodding, sometimes boring, way of playing is probably one of the reasons he is so durable. Only basketball purest really see Harden's game as elite. Kobe said he would start a team with Harden. We know how much of a basketball nerd Kobe is.
No, he doesn't like to wait till the shot clock runs out. Harden waits until the defense slows down. Harden has mastered changing speeds, speeding up as the defense slows down, and slowing down when the defense is going fast. It's not about winding the clock. It's about getting the defense out of sync.
He's always been durable tho...he only missed 1 game back in 14-15, and that was for kicking Lebron. He didn't really have an issue with taking contact from defenders. I liked that version of Harden better than this one (although Harden is obviously still amazing)...his handle was tighter, his shot was more consistent, he was quicker, he had more explosion at the rim, and he didn't spam threes at the rate that he does now. That Harden combined with his new commitment to leadership while playing in D'antoni's offense with this roster would be unreal.
Harden will be constantly overlooked and underrated because it takes too much effort to accurately diagnose what's going on on the court. The recent games on national tv have been pretty cringe-worthy because they are literally ignoring Harden because he is playing so methodically. I have never seen a player make a 20-10-10 game look so routinely boring.. it's a gift.
Our bench has always played fast paced this season, it's a strategic move by MDA. While our starters play a half court game. Harden used to do the dribble till the end of the shot clock turnover/bad shot attempt thing A LOT last year, this year not nearly as much and our offense is much better for it. Harden is running a pick n roll or pick n pop basically everytime down the court, he's either getting the switches he wants and scoring/passing OR putting down a crossover diving and kicking/scoring. Our offense has been great, Harden has been amazing. Tripping if you believe otherwise. Hardens only complaint worthy problem on offense is turnovers, which if you watch the game are not due to the shot clock.
Westbrick got them fast twitch muscle fibers. Harden has got them fast twitch brain cells. Line them b****es up including me who would like to see Harden play faster (not as fast as WB) like he did during 14/15 season
The Rockets play with pace, but they’re not seven seconds or less. Even when Harden was a boy, he liked to cradle the ball before he determined his course, infuriating coaches who feared he’d let the shot clock run dry. But the buzzer rarely sounded, and eventually, they recognized his gift for gauging time. Ever deliberate, Harden ponders all sorts of matters as he pauses atop the key, Spalding in his hands. Where is the help defender? When was Ariza’s last shot? When was Beverley’s last basket? How do they feel about that? “It’s incredible how his mind works,” D’Antoni says. “He’s very aware of who’s happy, who’s unhappy, and why.” Harden will never unify a locker room with impassioned oratory. But at point guard, he can control his teammates’ emotions in a more pragmatic way, through their touches. One reason Harden leads the NBA in turnovers, D’Antoni believes, is that he forces passes to players he’s worried about. http://www.si.com/nba/2017/02/28/james-harden-the-beard-houston-rockets-mike-dantoni
Harden's game isn't appreciated by the casual fans, but anyone who's played ball understands just how skilled he is and how difficult it is to do what he does. There's a lot u can take away from his game and try to incorporate into your own. His BBIQ on the offensive end is off the charts.
Yeah Mark Jackson who knows the game was full of praise for Jim during last night's game. He knows the intricacies of Harden's game and how tough it is to stop him despite all the game plans
I sometimes listen to the other team's broadcasters during games, and whenever 1 of them is a former player, u can often hear them saying that Harden is fun to watch and that he's a genius offensively. A lot of people around the NBA think that his passing is beautiful and that he's just an offensive machine. Then you'll have all these casual fans who probably can't even hit rim on a free throw saying that they hate watching Harden play and that he's a manufactured superstar because he always goes to the line.
