http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26118445/these-step-back-3s-sent-another-planet Normally, I'd advise against giving BSPN articles any clicks, but this was a fantastic read. Seriously. There's stats, pretty pictures, Rockets puns and a general lauding of Harden. #mediaconspiracy
"On average, the Harden step-back creates about 6 feet of shooting space, per Second Spectrum data. " Crazy. Harden step back finds a way to maintain his initial position while creating 6 feet of space.
They are few and far between, but espn still does actual non-opinion, information-based articles. This was a good one, thanks for posting.
Kirk Goldsberry is a good read 100% of the time. I could be wrong but I think he was one of the few Grantland guys who stayed with ESPN. Has a book coming out in April that I preordered a long time ago. Check out his twitter page if you want to see some great visualizations.
Really good article, thanks for posting. We need more of those articles to explain to people how crazy, unique and efficient is Harden's game. They all say its boring because they cant see the genuisity (Is that a word?) of it.
That shots he was hitting against Miami looked like he was getting back into his early winter rhythm...I think he can ride this straight into the playoffs.
Phenomenal read. I want to frame that spray chart of Harden unassisted 3's, and put it up in my house. It's beautiful. TL;DR Harden travels, flops, and generally kills the game of basketball - casual NBA fans probably
Yep. Dave Schoenfeld does good work on the MLB side too. and thanks for the heads-up on his twitter page, I'll check it out.
That was a good read. Harden for the #MVP just for innovating the me-offense to a peak level this season.
The article is an EXCELLENT read. Take a moment and check it out. Harden's step-back 3s generate 1.20 points per shot on average -- better than the Warriors' league-leading 1.15 points per shot. A hypothetical offense consisting solely of Harden step-back 3s would yield points faster than the best offense on the planet. .... "What's happening in Houston is the perfect storm of innovation and creativity from the front office, coaching staff and superstar. The Rockets are showing us the future of NBA basketball."
Not a bad article but why does he have to say it could be a travel? Nothing about the play he was showing vs Durant was a travel. He never even moved his back foot.
Pretty amazing chart. And further proof that Klay Thompson is an average scorer if it weren't for more talented teammates getting him the ball after they've created space for him.
Did Klay not want to autograph something for you? Because that's quite a random dig on Klay. It's not like he's completely stationary (see: Rockets players not named Harden) and waits to receive the ball while his more "talented teammates" draws Klay's defender towards them. Aside from Redick and Korver, Klay might be the best at running around and utilizing screens to get his points. Does he benefit from playing with Curry and Durant? Absolutely. But to say Klay is average, is doing him a disservice imo.
Busted. I'm a Klay hater. He's above average, for sure, and a solid (though overrated) defender. But can't create his own shot to save his life. His offense is very dependent on a system that creates open looks for him.
+1. Looking at the chart...the first thing I thought was..yup Klay is overrated once he leaves the warriors. I might be wrong but it will interesting to see what happens on his next contract.
