BBallBreakdown: Why Harden's Stepback Isn't A Travel (Nor His Other Moves)

here is the harden video against the wolves that dave says he posted about.

 

Harden's footwork and body coordination are extremely underrated. People get stuck on his strength, stopping ability, and handles.

 

The man is a master of his craft

 

Coach Nick also continuously points out how Harden is reacting to the footwork of the defender in ISO. Harden is an incredible dribbler, with amazing footwork, whereby he just dances in front of you and waits for your own footwork to get your weight on a foot he wants, such that you can't respond fast enough to his first step (which isn't that fast) because you are essentially off-balance or wrong-footed. Then he commands so much space with his strength and massive torso that once he's even with you and bodies you, it's impossible to get back in front of him, whereby you lose more and more ground to his dribble.

And all that is done while your are worried about the best step-back in the league...all the way out to beyond the arc...and his passing.

He doesn't need a first step as fast as AI or Jordan, because he is so damn smart and skilled at dribbling and watching the opponent wrong-foot himself (even for a split second) or over-commit.