I would like an opinion. What do you think is Harden's defensive potential if he would put in the work on that part of his game? Could he ever become an above average defender or even get close to a lockdown defender label? I've read some comments saying that's he simply doesn't possess the physical tools. I think that's a pretty big misconception. I saw a thread where James' combine results blow some of top NBA athletes out of the water. It also may not look like it because of the beard or his bulky built, but Harden has an elite (yes, ELITE) length for a SG. Being at 6'4" w/o shoes he has a wingspan of 6'11" - same as Paul George who is 3" taller than James, for comparison, D-Mo's wingspan is 6'11" as well, LeBron's is 7'0". James also has the quickness, and an amazing offensive footwork, which I think could be translated to the defensive end (?) as well. Basically, I think that he has all the tools to improve his defensive game significantly. Am I too optimistic about this? Thoughts?
In the rare moments that he tries, you can see that he has the skills to be a solid defender, so yes...the potential is there.
Don't you think he can ever become an above average one? If he has the body and skills... and if it's not the effort issue, perhaps it's the BBIQ? What do you think?
The fact that he gets so many blocks on the perimeter just for trying is kind of staggering. Maybe his usual lack of effort lulls shooters into a false sense of security, but he certainly has the length and quickness to close out. Staying in front of his assignment (lateral quickness) is his main issue.
Some guys don't, some guys do. Look at LeBron, aged 28, still improving every year. I know that he's a special talent, but it's just an example that it's doable.
Defensive awareness, dedication and instinct is a habit. "Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken."
That's why I think McHale is not an ideal coach for this team (of course I'm not suggesting firing him 7 games into the season, just saying). I think with a perennial DPOY in Howard and a more defensive minded coach, Harden could really break out of those 'chains of habit' of not playing any D.
I don't think he has the lateral agility to be an elite defender, but he could certainly be an above average defensive player with his strength, wingspan, and leaping ability. He has to want it as bad as he wants 30 points though.
Harden has the strength and length to become an above average defender, though I'm not sure he has the lateral quickness to become a "lock down" defender in the Iguodala category. He does however have issues in terms of his current skill level and mental approach to defense. However, Harden's issues are two fold. 1) Harden lacks effort. His effort on Defense is highly inconsistent. Many games he doesn't even show up. Other games he's trying to hard that he's out of control. Harden needs to learn to apply more consistent defensive effort, but it has to be controlled since he can't afford to rack up a ton of fouls. This is something that can be improved fairly quickly through self-motivation and good coaching. 2) Harden lacks defensive fundamentals. Poor stance, ball watching, not helping on defense when he's covering players that aren't a threat, over gambling on help defense when 1 pass away but not quick enough to get back to contest, and looking for the short cut on defense (steals) but not in a way that keeps his position. This is something that can't be improved quickly. It takes time to develop and internalize the skills necessary to be a good defender as they require the development of muscle memory and good defensive habits. Harden has the physical attributes to become at least an above average defender. The real question is does he have the desire, discipline and coaching to become that defender.
He plays good defense on some possessions. I'd say his crappy defense only shows itself maybe 3-5 times a game at most, but when it happens the GARM goes into full meltdown each time. Yes, 5 defensive lapses a game is 5 too many, but far more often than not he plays good enough D. As others have said, if he just stopped ball watching then his D would be good enough. It's his tendency to lose sight of his man that's his downfall, not his actual ability to play defense. I'm hopeful that this can get corrected.
Of course he could be an above average defender, defense is about effort and right now James is not giving 100% effort. You see him just watching the ball handler and ignoring his man so he can be the first guy back on offense. So basically he can be as good as he commits to be.
Actually, it's more than that. If you look at his defensive stance, he's leg locked, his arms are down, and his posture is poor. Even from the point of facing up a guard, he's not standing in a position to either front his man or raise his hands to contest. He also lacks awareness in terms of when to help or not to help. Granted, he's not the only one who makes those mistakes in terms of knowing who he's defending (many players on the Rockets over-defend poor shooters and under-defend good shooters), but his help defense habits are worse than most on the team. If you eliminated his ball watching it would be a big step up, but there's still a LOT he needs to work on before I'd consider him to be an "average" defender.
I do agree with you. Especially the second point Those weaknesses were built before he entered NBA. But last season Lin realized how bad his stance was and improved it in offseason. The most important thing is the desire to improve.
Harden's biggest defensive issues are ball watching, flat footedness, and effort. Those are all fixable, though I'm not expecting drastic changes. One good thing he does is closing out, surprisingly. He can block perimeter shots from time to time and he usually puts a hand up to contest.
James also has the quickness?? I doubt it. Also he is short of agility. Great to have him as super 6th man like thunders did. Suck to let him be our franchise player.
