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James Harden: deceptively athletic... or potbelly sloth with mad foot skills?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by jocar, Aug 6, 2013.

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  1. jocar

    jocar Member

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    I've seen several people here describe him as slow and having no hops. How does his 3/4 court sprint speed, bench presses, lane speed, and vertical leap compare with some "athletic" NBA guards Andre Iguodala, Dwayne Wade, John Wall, Monta Ellis, Tyreke Evans?

    [sprint time and lane agility: lower = faster]

    [​IMG]
    Monta Ellis

    [​IMG]
    Andre Iguodala

    [​IMG]
    Tyreke Evans

    [​IMG]
    John Wall

    [​IMG]
    Dwayne Wade

    [​IMG]
    James Harden

    He's quicker, stronger, and jumps higher than most of these guys. Does that huge beard or crafty footwork contribute to an optical illusion or eye test fail?
     
    #1 jocar, Aug 6, 2013
    2 people like this.
  2. jayhow92

    jayhow92 Member

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    Harden isn't fat. Where did that come from?
     
    #2 jayhow92, Aug 6, 2013
  3. Pull_Up_3

    Pull_Up_3 Member

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    no step and max vert higher than iggy?

    mind=blown
     
    #3 Pull_Up_3, Aug 6, 2013
  4. AvgJoe

    AvgJoe Contributing Member

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    Body fat...
     
    #4 AvgJoe, Aug 6, 2013
  5. AvgJoe

    AvgJoe Contributing Member

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    speaking of hops. he seemed to have lost some of his hops after that knee injury. before that, his vertical was great.
     
    #5 AvgJoe, Aug 6, 2013
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  6. Dave_78

    Dave_78 Member

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    37 inch vertical? I knew it was decent (would have guessed 32-34) but just damn.

    That bench press number is probably better than 90%+ of PFs and Centers.
     
    #6 Dave_78, Aug 6, 2013
  7. levintblack

    levintblack Contributing Member

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    He's not quick. That's what everyone sees. His first step doesn't get him past anyone.
     
    #7 levintblack, Aug 6, 2013
  8. Han Solo

    Han Solo Member

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    Wow..iggy only 4 reps compared to 17 for harden? Ellis slower than all those guys? Crazy how numbers don't always translate to what your eyes see on the court..
     
    #8 Han Solo, Aug 6, 2013
  9. tzou88

    tzou88 Member

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    Quick call Cuban and ask to trade Harden for Ellis.
     
    #9 tzou88, Aug 6, 2013
  10. iconoclastic

    iconoclastic Member

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    It's the high body fat that makes him look slow.
     
    #10 iconoclastic, Aug 6, 2013
  11. WNBA

    WNBA Member

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    He does not run or jump very often. He did not put 100% effort to the game, especially the defensive end.
     
    #11 WNBA, Aug 6, 2013
  12. Asian Sensation

    Asian Sensation Member

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    Some guys just don't look very athletic based off of their looks. Harden is definitely one of them.
     
    #12 Asian Sensation, Aug 6, 2013
  13. rokit

    rokit Member

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    come on mane, body fat is a dead giveaway
     
    #13 rokit, Aug 6, 2013
  14. jocar

    jocar Member

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    Why expend a lot of energy trying to beat someone on your first step when you think you can take him at the rim and maybe draw an and1 while you're there?
     
    #14 jocar, Aug 6, 2013
  15. RedEyesKirby

    RedEyesKirby Member

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    James Harden was always athletic, I don't even know how people came to the idea that he's not here. Even in OKC he has shown a lot of athleticism coming from the bench from time to time with WB and Durant. The thing is he doesn't need to use his athleticism to beat his man because he's very crafty with his game. His signature Euro step is effective because he can change his step pacing IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS STEPS. That alone takes surmount of footwork and strength (both on hips and legs).
     
    #15 RedEyesKirby, Aug 6, 2013
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  16. jman7373

    jman7373 Member

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    Can someone explain how the bench press number is scored? I've always wondered
     
    #16 jman7373, Aug 6, 2013
  17. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    athletic but not explosively athletic as Rose, Westbrook, Wall.....
    Injuries do break a lot of those
     
    #17 daywalker02, Aug 6, 2013
  18. Akkuron

    Akkuron Member

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    I'm okay with the bodyfat number. If you look at the way he plays, it all makes sense. You don't often see that high vertical and sprint in action because he would rather beat defenders up and draw the foul. That's also where the 10% body fat comes into play, which is by no means a lot, that's a good 2% into the six-pack territory. His slight extra bulk in combination with his athleticism allows him to jump backwards into Kawhi Leonard, taking away his chance to get into any sort of defensive position, and still make the shot to steal the game from the Spurs after absorbing the impact.

    Harden's fine. He's beyond that. I don't need to see that vertical used for reverse windmills or something. A layup and a dunk are the same thing as long as you can convert either one. An and-1 is better than an anklebreaker. The fact that Harden seems to be physically able to show off way more than he does, but chooses not to, makes me appreciate his game even more. He has a very mature approach. As much as I love those crowd igniters, in the long run, Harden's style is more beneficial.

    Long story short, I don't need my shooting guard winning dunk contests, I'd trade all the highlights in the world for an extra 1% in TS%. Harden seems to agree.
     
    #18 Akkuron, Aug 6, 2013
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  19. entirelydave

    entirelydave Member

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    #19 entirelydave, Aug 6, 2013
    1 person likes this.
  20. Rockets590

    Rockets590 Rookie

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    James Harden is strong man
     
    #20 Rockets590, Aug 6, 2013
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