Zach Lowe on Harden's Playoff Reputation

Shoutout to Elston Turner for the D.

 

K, cool. We’re in the middle of the playoffs though.

 

"I dont like the way James Harden plays basketball"

 

Yet his teams have advanced to the next round multiple times. Yeah, no championships, but we've had more success than a lot of other teams. A bunch of other teams wish they could be in our position. We been competitive since James got here.

Yeah, I hate it when James let's his demeanor get the best of him and he gets embarrassed, but it's been a great being fan during his stint regardless. The growth I've seen this year on the defensive end (in my opinion the best defense I've seen him play in his career) is great. In previous years (except 2017 - 2018 season), this kind of game would of likely been a loss and not been as close, because Harden usually mailed it in and did not play defense like he has these playoffs.

I get that fans want the offensive output, and I don't disagree with you, but he wasn't as terrible as everyone thought he was. He had a seriously good game on the defensive end and even at the end of the game he played very controlled and made the right reads. Would have been great if he was the one making the baskets, but hell, his other teammates (Gordon/Covington) that had been cold games 1-4 showed up and Harden found them. Team effort man, team effort.

 

Lowe makes a lot of great points, as usual. I can't disagree with any of it.

Playoff crunch time offensive numbers, from the article:

In all playoff games during Harden's time in Houston in which the score was within five points during the last five minutes, Harden is 41-of-108 (36.7%) and 9-of-50 (18%) on 3s, per ESPN Stats & Info. He has dished 13 dimes and committed 19 turnovers. Houston is minus-19 in those minutes.

Zoom into super-crunch-time -- score within three, under three minutes in playoff games -- and Harden as a Rocket is 17-of-50 (34%) and 3-of-19 from deep with an even assist-to-turnover ratio.
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Zach Lowe is and always has wanted approval from the rest of the media and it influences what he says and believes. Wanting to be popular is a big part of the reason I find him to be close to worthless when it comes to many issues.

Also, James Harden NEEDS the ball in his hands at the end of games, it doesn't need to be in Westbrook's or Paul's hands.

The Rockets were an injury to Paul from winning a title.

 

What are Kobe's numbers in that same span? What are Paul Pierce's?

 

Damning stats, for sure. But I'd like to know more about how many seconds were left on the shot clock and how many teammates had touched the ball. Harden is almost always the bailout guy late in the clock when a teammate gets stuck and looks for a savior to throw to. Those are bad situations, and they might skew his numbers. A la "People who go to hospitals often die."

 

not a real thread until @tinman criticizes it

 

Great article as per usual from Mr lowe. Imagine the discussion of Harden had the tickets lost that game to okc or if he had not made that great block.

Even clutchfans would have been calling for his head similar but worst than the aftermath of the spurs game 7.

But the tickets won, Harden made the block and has an opportunity to change the narrative versus the Lakers.

I don't expect Harden to lead the rockets to beat the rightfully favored Lakers. But I expect him to play a hell of a lot better in the 4th quarters of close games, if he wants to change his reputation as a playoff choker.

He's changed some of the lazy no defense narrative, the Lakers series offers him a chance to rewrite the other... Or further cement it.

 

- a performance so bad, so passive, it sparked rumors (never substantiated, to my knowledge) Harden might have played through a concussion

Add Zac Lowe to the 2017 QAnoncussion Community

 

Without looking, even if they are terrible, I want Harden's to be better. Zach's article was more nuanced than any other other you're going to read on Harden in the playoffs. His late game shooting is bad. No qualifications needed.

 

People who play half their playoff crunch time minutes against the peak Warriors dynasty often lose.

 

Yea man! **** any legitimate criticisms!

when there’s an open lane let’s take a step back 3 four ft behind the arc with 2 defenders. It’s the playoffs, someone who has played ball their entire life clearly can’t change that tempatatjo.

 

The only problem for Harden is that he makes playing ridiculously well look so easy, that his teammates use him as a crutch.

 

I still don’t like what I see from harden.. dude habitually does the least when it matter the most. I’m the biggest harden duck rider there is, but I just can’t anymore. Only thing that will change this is a ring...

 

Can agree with this. How many "possible" assists were there missed out on? My guess would be hundreds. Open shooting has not been the Rockets strong suit from 3, and we all know this. He might not be a clutch shooter even with the bailouts falling to him, but it still matters that he's making the right plays at the right time.

 

This sums up how many of us feel about James in playoff crunch time. Not good..

 

"I dont like when people criticize Harden"