The myth of 'James Harden shoots too many free throws'

They are also often not called. If we go by the rulebook, every NBA game would take 20 hours the way they're played today. Let's not act like there are no subjectivity here. If refs really do call fouls as in the rulebook, Yao would've averaged at least 10 more FTs each game the way he was constantly being fouled.

 

Westbrook is shooting around 30% from 3 and around 44% on 2-pt shots and 57% at the rim. He sure does have to take more shots than Harden to match Hardens scoring output.

 

He would have more attempts at the rim if he wasnt getting fouled. Some people finish through contact like prime D Wade and Harden and some people finish around contact like LeBron because they are scared of shooting FTs or Steph Curry because he is frail and scared of getting hurt. In other your post worthless without context.

 

Getting to the line is a state of mind. It is about determination: putting your opponent in the position to where he has to foul.

 

Cousins, Lebron, and Westbrook all drive less per 36 min than Harden.

 

I'm not creating the correlation. Daryl Morey himself made this correlation between attempting shots at the rim and FTs, and clearly implied causation between them.

I don't understand why is so bad to claim that Harden knows how to get fouls. JVG says it. Hubie Brown says it. And both say it in a complimentary way. Saying Harden gets fouls does not mean he's not playing basketball or flopping. It just means he's getting fouls.

 

I don't think anyone can deny that Harden TRIES to draw fouls and it's obvious the way you watch him play. Durant is the same way. Guys like Westbrook, it's not obvious that when you watch them make plays that they are trying to get fouled. A lot of fans are turned off by that aspect.

 

Another reason is that people don't respect the quality of Harden's game outside of getting to the line. People like to imagine that if they eliminated free throws for everybody, guys like Durant, WB, Wade, etc. would still get a lot of buckets and put up points. The guy most hindered by the elimination of free throws, would probably be Harden.

 

harden has the best step back in the game and he's unstoppable in the open floor with his crafty moves. those people are ignorant and it doesn't matter because free throws are part of the NBA.

 

While I do agree that Harden is the MVP and 10ft per game seems about right for him, lets be honest for a second - if you were a fan of any team but the Rockets you'd get mad often for what kind of whistles he gets. Whether they're just or not. Just saying.

 

It's understandable.

Generally any good player that attacks the basketball often will get a lot of calls to go to the freethrow line. A basketball fan should know this ABC too.

 

hardens free throw rate is extraordinarily high given volume and his being a wing scorer. michael jordans career high free throw rate is 0.46. This was when he wax a rookie, and he he was reckless as a rookie.

 

A Foul is a Foul, if they let him drive by its an easy 2 hence giving him higher fg%

 

It's not a myth. It's a fact

Accept it.

Who cares if he does? It looks like you're trying to make excuses for our MVP cause you don't like his game.

We should be throwing praises and embracing James Harden.

 

Agreed with the premise of the OP, but also with this.

Harden doesn't really "flop" in the traditional CP3 / Kirilenko sense. But he does go for the contact like Wade, James, and Durant. He is taking advantage of the way the NBA is poorly officiated.

It doesn't sit 100% well with me but it isn't 'flopping' like people are used to.

 

That's always been true for big time scorers in the NBA.

 

Here's the way I see it:

America loves a plebeian and hates not following the rules. They even hate people who work the system even more, although it's within the confines of the rules.

For example: someone who always tries to haggle on every little thing is annoying and even gets subjected to ridicule for being shady. People who leverage coupons and deals to save money are cheapskates. They can't stand when people get things for free just by taking advantage of some government program or loophole. The funny thing is that these are the people in this country who are building wealth instead of debt.

So don't hate Harden for driving the lane and drawing foul after foul. Hate the game and the system. Or love it for it's beauty.

 

No one had anything to say when Durant was doing the whip through move from the elbow..

 

James harden looks bad when he draws fouls

Kevin martin is 20 times more elegant at flopping offensively and he does it with no star power and less athleticism. Kmart is the best at it and none ever talks about him.