Max Kellerman says Harden is only elite in one category physically - Deceleration

Dumbass forgot another category: BALLIN'

Harden is an elite baller.

 

I thought everyone knew Hardens best skill is stopping fast.

it's literally the only thing Kellerman has gotten correct.

 

James Harden's athleticism being knocked is nothing new.

Harden is an elite athlete. He decelerates at an elite level, he has awesome body control and is extremely strong.

 

Tinman you have a way with words

Kellerman is a clown, but this is part of getting people to talk about him and the show - say ridiculous things and watch the fireworks

 

Basketball is 90% talent and 10% scheme. Talk about OKC but Russ has regressed this year, PG has never been 10-win player, Melo is a role player, Steven Adams is arguably their best player.

 

It's regarding to ISO only......they are good ISO players. ISO does not compute to efficiency automatically.

 

Those Tripoli doubles must be illusions. Those 60 points could be scored by just anybody. SHM.

 

Awesome!

 

Whatever to the argument of comparing players against how they fared relative to the competition of their period. What killed me was that he think Lebron and Durant are better iso scorers than Harden and to that I say - look at the stats compared to the competition of his period, Harden is just better at scoring than the other two guys. Lebron still has strength and athleticism, but he isn't able to blow by guys and jump over them like in his early days and he has never been an elite shooter off the dribble - a CRITICAL skill for an iso scorer. Durant I think is the closest thing to Harden but he still isn't able to toy with opponents like Harden - get to the hoop, stop on the dime for a mid range shot, step back 3pter, feed a shooter or a cutting big man - he has a counter for everything and the handles to go along with it. Durant's skill is he is able to shoot over and around guys - it's effective and he's done well with that skill set but the bottom line is regardless of how he makes it happen, you can definitely prove Harden generates more points that Durant or anyone else in the league for that matter. This is just proven out by the facts - there is no argument to it.

 

I hate Max Kellerman, but this is actually much better theory for Harden's relative struggles in the post season than the usual "refs are not calling fouls", or "Harden is a mental midget" argument.

Harden's game is based on out-smarting his defenders. The problem is it's way easier and convenient to just out-muscle your opponent. Those constant herky-jerky, change of speed/direction moves to shake off the defenders... After a while, it takes a toll on your body and your mind, because it's exhausting.

BTW, this might be the same reason why CP3 didn't have too much success in the playoffs either. Sometimes, just raw physicality and athleticism trumps everything. Shaq, Wilt, MJ, LeBron, even Westbrook.

I hope this year we prove this theory wrong.

 

I know this is gonna come as a big surprise to many but how long we gonna ignore
Harden is ELITE in MENTAL TOUGHNESS as well..... how many media and refs, interwebs and cf's harshly criticizing, denigrating and witchunting Harden, and he still comes out every year being even better, more confident, calm and not caring what the critics say...

 

I mentioned Westbrook because he shouldn't even be this good based on his basketball skills or IQ, but it's his physicality that sometimes makes him very difficult to guard (and even though we all hate WB, let's be honest, sometimes he is really difficult to defend)

 

I figured that. I just like to make fun of Russ whenever I get the chance.

 

For most it doesn't, but those three are not efficient ISO players, just volume ISO scorers. Efficient isolation play on the level of Jim & Chris is EXTREMELY rare, if not exclusive to those two. You build your offense around the strengths of your players, if Harden and Paul were to be replaced with Curry and Thompson, I guarantee you that the offense would turn into 1000000 screens to generate good looks for 3 pointers instead of Isolations.

 

CP3 has had some memorable bad clutch moments in the playoffs, and his team has never advanced beyond 2nd round. It's not about his average numbers; but how CP3 fared in key moments.

Imagine if CP3 could simply shoot over people like KD. Then maybe he wouldn't be as exhausted at the end? and then maybe, CP3 wouldn't make those silly mistakes because he would be more mentally focused? If you don't have raw physical advantages, you just have to work harder in other ways. It's a sad truth.

 

You need raw athleticism to do well in the playoffs, otherwise you'll get exposed.

Signed,

Dirk Nowitski
Steve Nash
Larry Bird