[Chron] Solomon: Rockets GM has long admired Harden’s star potential

I think he's passed that already. Harden could have came in and just scored around 20 pts in his first game and no one would have complained. He could have scored less and then fed us some BS about it taking time to adjust, and again, not many would have complained. For him to go out and do everything he did, on day one, tells you he expects that from himself already. His patience on the court shows his strong focus. His shot selection show great self control. The mind is strong.

 

I don't understand.

 

That's not saying much though, now is it?

 

The 'eye test' is actually the nagging thing in the back of my mind. By that, I mean at first glance, he doesn't seem to have elite quickness - but then he weaves through three defenders; I don't see through tthe roof leaping ability - but he dunks a whole lot; he has good size - but he looks almost chunky to me, at least by NBA standards. And honestly when with OKC, there were (brief) moments when he looked downright awkward. If you'd never seen the guy play, and you were choosing sides for a pickup game withe the Rockets roster, he wouldn't be the first guy picked. But, of course, through it all he remains dominant.

In the most superficial sense he really doesn't look to me like a dominant NBA player, the way someone like T-Mac did just moving around during warmups, or even Yao's sheer size made him stand out.

At least that is what I see. If I'm actually blind, I would love to see someone help me see the light.

 

i dont like solomon. hes basically an espn analyst who happens to write for the houston chronicle. and he calls himself king solomon. what a d

 

He's chunky by Durant or Anthony Davis standards. He appears to be in just as good or better shape than any player we put on the floor to me.

 

Let's not give him a passing grade on the mind test until he is still upbeat when the team is 33-49 at the end of the season and he and Lin have to combine for 50 a night for the Rockets to win.

I actually believe he is mentally strong enough to weather that type of adversity but I need to see it before I'm certain he can.

 

Definitely agree. My mind still has trouble comprehending how he gets to the rim and finishes with his less than chiseled physique and what appears to be pedestrian athleticism for an NBA wing player.

In a way, it's a real positive that the guy can do what he does without needing a 42 inch verticle leap or a Derrick Rose-like first step. It tells me that when he hits his 30s or (god forbid) sustains an injury that hampers his athleticism, he won't regress the way McGrady and so many other freak athlete superstars did when their athleticism faded.

 

Do people not see the Paul Pierce comparisons? Harden will be effective into his mid-30's.

 

Harden is deceptive athletic.

Westbrook's max vertical according to draft express is 36.5, compared to Harden's 37.

He could also do this.



Harden is so skillful that it masks his athleticism.

 

I noticed this is as well when I watched his OKC highlights, the guys athleticism is severely underrated. He has some real hops.

 

Me too. It's a game too cause I enjoy listening to Dave Tepper

 

It's a shame**

Stupid iPhone auto correct

 

I was thinking the same thing. You can't praise Morey for getting Harden while being all over him for building up assets when the assets are what allowed him to get Harden. The guy was talking like the pile of assets in the summer was Morey's goal. He is as bad as Fran.

 

Something I noticed during the Detroit game that I think is a real boon to his ability to get to the basket is the manner in which he uses his steps after picking up the ball. Not only is he supremely skilled utilizing the euro step, but he also seems to have an ability to use long, slow strides that can really throw a defender off. You can see him doing this in the plays starting at 1:21, 2:33, 3:43, and the euro step at 6:05. The guy can just cover huge amounts of ground at varying speeds. You don't see a whole lot of guys do that.

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