There is a sliver of truth in there. You have to realize a huge majority of the way he gets his points aren't going to happen in the playoffs because all the ridiculous fouls he draws when he flails his arms to get to the line just become no calls in playoffs.
Don't hate him but also do not get carried away by his ugly style of basketball flailing and flopping to the line
an "off" game in the post season?!?! You do realize just before last year the question was if he could even play decent in the post season. His style doesn't translate, he is super easy to figure out and stop. Don't fall for his baiting and the slow pace of the playoffs squeezes him out of his comfort zone. Being a mental midget does the rest.
Vice versa. Harden wins a meaningless personal month stat award and all the nuthuggers go full bait attack mode. It works both ways.
he had a hot streak and got stopped by Miami years ago he dribbles dribbles and dribbles down the clock down the clock
What an embarrassing game for Harden. You take away his ghost calls and he becomes a whiney primadonna scrub that can't lead a team let alone produce in the playoffs. If this loser can't improve by next season he's dead weight giving fans false hope for playoff success. Hes not a good basketball player
Dude doesn't show up consistently in the playoffs. 38 year old Kobe shows more heart on his final game. Once I saw he let Matt Barnes off the hook last playoffs Iknew he didn't have the heart to lead this team to the promise land.
I have never been a fan of the way Harden draws fouls all season, flailing his arms up. It isn't a skill I like, but what puzzles me even more is how the refs give him all those calls when it is obvious what he is doing. Sooooooooo, when they let them "play ball" in the playoffs and all those calls Harden has built his game on disappear, we'll......he just isn't the player we need to compensate for a bunch of guys who aren't any better. Blame the refs, blame Harden, blame the coach, but get real people...........his numbers don't translate to playoffs.
I'm confused by posters here pointing to the numbers saying that Harden's game doesn't translate to the playoffs. Today he didn't get a single FT attempt, they didn't call anything. But if you actually took the time to look up the numbers you would see Harden gets as many if not more calls in the playoffs. This narrative that his game doesn't translate because of this is incorrect. Harden has had no issue getting to the line, it's been his turnovers and overall shooting that has been in the playoffs (and he was great offensively in the playoffs last season).
Harden's a hard guy to cheer for. Give me someone who plays hard everyday, but lacks the talent. As opposed to someone who is all-world talent but plays like a whiny floppy lazy b****.
And it's not like the talent he has translates into an aesthetically pleasing game. I wouldn't say his 'talent' is high but his 'skill set' is. Part of talent is natural athleticism and Harden is sorely lacking in that department. He's like a less athletic Paul Pierce but with better handles and a slightly lower center of gravity due to being a bit shorter.
Harden will get the calls at home. Just wait and see. And, I bet he gets to the FT line in game 2. Sure, we can trade Harden and lose Dwight to free agency. But, that will only translate to an even worse regular season team and a non-playoff team. I get the frustration with Harden. He is by no means a perfect player. But, he's pretty much all we got that represents any kind of threat to opposing teams and there is no denying that...when he is on...he is a game changer.
