[The Ringer] James Harden is pushing basketball limits

how does he 'manipulate the rulebook ' ?

 

Ha I just said this the other day.

Great article and find. Thanks for sharing

 

You highlighted a lot of the better points. A couple that jumped out...

“He creates shots for them like a point guard, and he creates space for them like a shooting guard, combining the impact of two elite players into one.”

“Harden’s presence alone almost guarantees a historically great offense.”

 

The zero step gather on his step backs.

Its unique in it's the first real time a player has ever exploited it going AWAY from the rim rather than towards it.

Its, in essence, the same concept as a euro step (that the league and everyone just Loooveess..... ), but going in to a step back 3 instead of a layup.

It's extremely difficult but brilliant and beautiful.

 

Not fun to watch tho

Too much help tho

Not enough rebounds tho

Travels tho

 

This more than anything is what I'm in awe of as far as Harden's game. His go-to move should be a last ditch effort for any other player. It's the exact opposite of conventional thinking. Yet when the game is close in the 4th and he's launching step backs there is little doubt in my mind that they're going in. I don't know if there is a metric for it but it seems as if the more time runs off the clock the more likely it is to go in.

 

Great article, I'd been wondering whether the next step in our offense is to let James take 17 3's a game, whatever he feels like. We always worry he's settling, but he's been consistently one of the most prolific drivers every year and he leads the league this season, so he's getting to the rim all the same. If the Rockets 'math advantage' is diminishing with the rest of the league shooting more 3s, the next logical step is to crank it up again and shoot even more. D'Antoni said he wants us to shoot 50 3's a game, if James is gonna shoot this well then we can easily do that. If we add another shooter such as Justin Holiday then that'll help even more. I'm sick of this team leading the league every year in 3 point attempts but rarely having great shooters on the floor. Let's push this all way up to 11.

 

Harden hate is a product of pride, sheer sour grapes. It’s the People who said he’d be nothing but a borderline all star at best (the type that may get in as a reserve 1 or 2 times in their career).

He wasn’t seen as a shining diamond in Oklahoma, but a great spark plug and defender off the bench, a luxury but not essential. Definitely not worthy of superstars contract or accolades. In Oklahoma it was about Durant and Westbrook, two MVP’s who were to be the new Jordan/Pippen dynasty. When Oklahoma offered him to the league, they got crickets, and Moreys offer was the est they could muster up....

Now the same pundits who see Harden and how he could have been so easily on their favorite team hate it; lament with their spite and contempt against a guy who wins within the rule books and is a basketball marvel. Instead of them admitting they erred and didn’t identify Hardens greatest, they let their true selves taint reality.

 

That Ringer article is EPIC!!!

"What makes Harden so indefensible is that he has the ideal counters for those counters. He combines volume 3-point shooting, elite passing, and free throw shooting in a way no player ever has before."

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"James Harden makes his teammates better in two distinct ways: He creates shots for them like a point guard, and he creates space for them like a shooting guard, combining the impact of two elite players into one."

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"Harden has created a new kind of triple double: a game with at least 10 3-point attempts, 10 free throw attempts, and 10 assists. There have been 91 of those games in NBA history, and Harden has logged 41 of them."

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"Harden will have a lasting legacy even if he never wins a championship. The greatest players in NBA history change the way the game is played, and Harden has blazed a trail for the next generation of players."

 

Yeah, I was listening to The Ringer podcast and one of the guys, Chris something, I can't remember his name, mentioned how "gross" Harden's style of play is and how all he does it shoot and purposely draw fouls, which Kevin O'Connor argued, Harden leads the league in drives from the top of the key to the basket. He's fouled because no one can defend his euro-step.

Harden's intent is to score, if he gets fouled, he gets fouled.

 

When Kim K took the illustrious champagne photo Harden took note. He saw what he needed to do and how to do it, and after winning his MVP he carried out his plan. I'm Morgan Freeman, and for the next 3 hours I will narrate this journey of how Harden Broke the Internet.

 

I listen to the pod, but maaan.... not just this most recent about harden but ALWAYS, I find it extremely difficult to listen to Vernon seriously or appreciate and enjoy anything he says.

Hes like the "comic relief" of sorts to intelligent basketball discussion.

It feels like hes there to be the "popular hot take" voice to appeal to the masses.

 

Enjoyed the article, but I don't like how he ended by just assuming that Curry, KD, and LeBron could automatically do a superior version of Harden with a tiny change to their shot selection. Perpetuates the false narrative that his success is just a manipulation and not related to elite skill that he had don't a lifetime crafting. He'll one day be perceived as a top 50 player by the general public/media, but he'll have the resume of top 15 player of all time. Annoying.

 

I've heard it before but I usually can't listen for more than 5 minutes because Chris Vernon has that irritating, 90's rock-jock DJ voice that annoys the crap out of me. I'll listen to the other shows on The Ringer though, they're usually pretty insightful.

I thought he worked for the Grizzlies the way he talks about them, they're honestly the least interesting team ever assembled.

 

damn that was a terrific article, more so than anything bc it's unapologetic in it's objectivism regarding harden's game:

literally couldn't have been articulated better.

 

damn you hit the nail on the head with his damn voice and lame ass KOC nicknames... it's like you're just waiting for him to burst out with "and next up on the Morning Zoo w VernDog and Kevin O'Bomber!" *insert animal sound effect*

dude is just cheesy af.