Okay, I know it's a broad question, but I want to get an idea where everybody is. I mean, what exactly do we have on our hands? Because this guy is getting healthy and taking it to yet another level. (scary)James is so young, can take over pretty much whenever he wants.. has a great feel for the game. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would be THIS good. Not only can he bust the J and get to the hoop at will (finishing or getting to the line)... I think, as time goes on, he will learn to trust his teammates even more giving him the ability to elevate the Rockets to crazy heights. So, with this in mind, I'm curious what players, historically, warrant comparison as to style and/or level of play/talent? What will his legacy potentially be as far as titles and his position in the pantheon of greats? (considering Morey's in the process of assembling a juggernaut) I think Harden and all of us are headed for multiple Championships. (I AM a little biased though) James reminds me of an ABA player with his soul/rhythm ....love the Beard. He is a superstar already.... And all this from one who was skeptical of the deal.
I think before we say things like he can take over whenever he wants, we need a bigger sample size against the elite defenses (where it really counts) as he has not shown to be able to do his thing against the likes of the Clipps, OKC, Indiana etc. His untimely habit in games like the Clipps game of starting to throw away possessions by making lazy passes or ill advised isos towards the end of big games must change very soon. On the other hand his shooting has improved greatly recently and he seems to be able to get to the rim at will. Whether he finishes at will depends on if there's a Deandre Jordan or Serge Ibaka waiting for him, in which case he needs to get the foul calls (hopefully that happens come playoff time.)
James Harden has the oldest-man game ever. His game will only evolve to be older and older I fear. They should put him in the Uncle Drew commercials with no added makeup; he would fit in perfectly.
Harden has a lot of room to grow. Frankly, he must grow. These are the big areas: 1. Effort - Start caring all the time. Stop taking plays off. Start making an effort on defense. 2. Turnovers - This is simple focus. 3. Go for the points, not the foul. When you go to the rack, try to finish every time instead of just trying to draw the foul. The foul will come if you try to finish. Bottom line is that all of these attributes come with maturity. He's only 24 right now. If he can mature, he'll be on LBJ and KD's level by 27.
The thing is, we complained about his iso game. I am a strong believer that he needed that phase. There are very few players that never need that in order to achieve greatness (Lebron being one). Harden needed repetition. So did Jordan. So did Durant. They need to make mistakes. They needed to have ALL of the pressure on them. James will be able to turn it on and off even more in the future, but he has to be absolutely positive in his abilities. That takes repetition. I think last year our staff told Harden, don't worry about defense. Just score the ball. Because, if you followed Harden throughout his career - even college - he has ALWAYS been unselfish. He is very very aware of what's going on and what works best for the team.
At his peak? I anticipate borderline top-5 player. I don't believe he can ever reach top-2/3 status. But just a bit below that. I think Melo's a good comp in terms of their production, even if they have different games. Melo's a better scorer and rebounder while Harden better playmaker. But overall I can see Harden always being talked about as a superstar, but never as that elite guy. I hope I'm wrong, but I believe that Harden plays more of a Paul Pierce role on a championship team than a Kobe/Lebron type. Part of the reason why I'm so enamored with a 3rd star(Love?). But of course if the Rockets go deep in the playoffs this season, I'll definitely adjust my opinion of Harden.
Whatever his peak, I think he'll stay their for long because he relies more on skill and strength than elite quickness or hops. At some point his forays to the rim will dip as it gets harder to take the wear and tear, but with all his bumps and fakes he should still be able to get his shot off basically at will. I know people call him out for being lazy but you don't develop all those skills without putting in the time and effort. As he gets older I anticipate he'll put in the practice he needs to become an even better outside shooter to make up for lack of drives.
He is already better than Brandon Roy ever was. His upside is Dwayne Wade.. Harden is already better than I thought he would be when drafted, he is arguably a top 4-5 player in the NBA.
No, right now he's at about Brandon Roy, remember Roy never reached his peak. He's a top 4-5 OFFENSIVE player, factoring in defense, he not in the top 10. He will never be Wade, doesn't have the athleticism.
