What does Harden need to do in the playoffs to be a respected player?

[Connor B]

For me like many others, I recognize Harden's potential and know he has moments of brilliance, but for some reason I just don't trust him to lead a team in the playoffs. Last year is not really a good measurement. This year, however, the Rockets are in a position to make a deep run, and a lot of that will depend on Harden's poise, clutchness, and even leadership.

So my question is - for those of you who don't like Harden, what will he need to do in the playoffs and/or how far will the Rockets need to go for you to recognize him as a superstar player that will be a force for years to come?

I think most people sort of expect the Rockets to get bounced in the second round by either the Thunder, Clippers, or Spurs. So for me, if they can get to the WCF, that definitely makes him look good. In addition, he needs to put up good stats and specifically a good FG%

[Bugz]

Honestly I just need him to show up and not succumb to the pressure and more intense defense.

[KrizMiz]

carry his team, with 30+ points and less than 4 free throws a game, and taking good shots, not these lucky ones

[QuebecBaller]

no flop and good defense

[JohnFreeman]

Shave the beard and cut the flopping

[Teanett]

win?

[MichaelCorleone]

He can start by cutting down the flopping.

[SCdac]

outside of flopping and lackadaisical defense, at least average more than .40 FG% as the #1 option in a series win... which should be doable.

against the Thunder last season, though, he shot 39.1 FG% (45-115 FG), including 7-22 FG in Game 6 against the westbrook-less team.

Just don't turn in to a chucker and launch desperation/lazy 3's is all I want to see. Don't mind the incessant driving, he's not the first to play that way, but ill advised 3's zap a teams flow

[navy]

Avoid chucking, flopping and most of all losing. Then no one can say shit to him.

[MP.Trey]

carry his team, with 30+ points and less than 4 free throws a game, and taking good shots, not these lucky ones
You do realize no players ever averaged that in the history of the game, playoffs or not, right? Setting high enough standards for the kid?

http://i61.tinypic.com/b6bp20.png

[I<3NBA]

stop flopping and play defense.

[SHABBA]

You do realize no players ever averaged that in the history of the game, playoffs or not, right? Setting high enough standards for the kid?

http://i61.tinypic.com/b6bp20.png
I don't think he meant for an entire season.

[imdaman99]

Stop the flopping, but that's asking for too much from him.

[WWRWestbrookDo?]

probably show a bigger commitment to defense.

[EnoughSaid]

Just show up, play hard, lead his team into the second round or even farther.

[Young X]

It doesn't matter how he plays, his team has to win, point blank. If he plays great in the playoffs every year but his team doesn't win people will just call him a choker/underachiever, etc.

Look at Dirk pre 2011
Look at Bron pre 2012
Look at KG pre 2008

How you play doesn't matter you have to WIN. I don't agree with it but that's how people think. He'll get more respect for playing good and winning than playing great and losing.

[Lordsteven]

if he can play consistently and lock down defense, he'll get my respect

[HoopsFanNumero1]

He was quite poor in his last two series against OKC and the Heat so he can start by at least having a good offensive series.

[Inferno]

Shoot above 40% as the 1st option

[smoovegittar]

Shave the beard and cut the flopping

This.

[Black and White]

Put some effort in on defense and stop flopping.

[Milbuck]

He needs to do the following:

1) Develop an offensive game that doesn't rely on free throws and 3 pointers. All the great perimeter guys have had multi-dimensional games - when you shut off one part of their game, they had several more to go to. Michael, Kobe, Bird, Durant, Lebron, etc all these guys have scoring arsenals that (when they're on their game) no one person can totally shut off. There's a reason why Lebron didn't win a ring until he expanded his scoring arsenal. Now that his shooting is miles ahead of where it was in 2007 and he can post up like a legit PF, he can abuse pretty much anyone he wants to at any time. Same thing with Kobe and Michael. If their perimeter game wasn't happening, in to the post they went, and they'd shit on teams close to the basket. Durant is getting there, and this season he's learning to read double teams before they happen. So now he's getting to the point where if he's having a good game, defenses have ZERO chance. James Harden needs to tailor his game to the playoffs. Defenses get more physical, less forgiving. If you expect to get away with the same shit you got away with in the regular season, you're gonna get embarrassed very quickly. And it's even worse for Harden now since there's no Durant and Westbrook to hide behind.

2) Play some ****ing defense. Dwight cannot do everything. Harden has all the physical tools to be a great defender. He's got great size for his position at 6'5" with plenty of body at 225 lbs. He's a good athlete too - not Wade, MJ, or even Kobe level athleticism, but he's good enough that he should be able to stay with pretty much any 2 guard he defends. And it's not even his skill set that holds him back either, he showed in OKC that he is fully capable of being a decently intelligent defender. It's all about his mind set. If he ever wants to NOT be a joke of a defender, he needs to sack up and give a damn.

3) Learn to be a great leader. This means not blatantly ignoring plays called by your point guard, and then ripping him apart for taking shots that you wanted immediately after. This means firing your teammates up in a good way and not looking like you just woke up from a 4 hour nap. This means bringing championship-level intensity every single night so the opposition fears you. It's not fair to ask this of him because everyone has a different personality, but that's just the way it is. If Kevin Durant can go from being a shy, quiet guy to being one of the fiercest competitors in the game, James Harden can go from being a lazy, sleepy looking bum to a fiery, intense leader.

4) Shave the beard, take a shower, and save the bud for AFTER the game.

[J Shuttlesworth]

carry his team, with 30+ points and less than 4 free throws a game, and taking good shots, not these lucky ones
:facepalm GTFO out of here. He has to average at least 30 for it to be a success? :biggums: So if he averaged 29 on 6 FT a game, and they won the championship, he'd still be a choker? Some of you haters have shit excuses for logic.

[Lebron23]

Just like Blake Griffin he needs to show up and elevate his game in the playoffs.

[Fire Colangelo]

He needs to do the following:

1) Develop an offensive game that doesn't rely on free throws and 3 pointers. All the great perimeter guys have had multi-dimensional games - when you shut off one part of their game, they had several more to go to. Michael, Kobe, Bird, Durant, Lebron, etc all these guys have scoring arsenals that (when they're on their game) no one person can totally shut off. There's a reason why Lebron didn't win a ring until he expanded his scoring arsenal. Now that his shooting is miles ahead of where it was in 2007 and he can post up like a legit PF, he can abuse pretty much anyone he wants to at any time. Same thing with Kobe and Michael. If their perimeter game wasn't happening, in to the post they went, and they'd shit on teams close to the basket. Durant is getting there, and this season he's learning to read double teams before they happen. So now he's getting to the point where if he's having a good game, defenses have ZERO chance. James Harden needs to tailor his game to the playoffs. Defenses get more physical, less forgiving. If you expect to get away with the same shit you got away with in the regular season, you're gonna get embarrassed very quickly. And it's even worse for Harden now since there's no Durant and Westbrook to hide behind.

2) Play some ****ing defense. Dwight cannot do everything. Harden has all the physical tools to be a great defender. He's got great size for his position at 6'5" with plenty of body at 225 lbs. He's a good athlete too - not Wade, MJ, or even Kobe level athleticism, but he's good enough that he should be able to stay with pretty much any 2 guard he defends. And it's not even his skill set that holds him back either, he showed in OKC that he is fully capable of being a decently intelligent defender. It's all about his mind set. If he ever wants to NOT be a joke of a defender, he needs to sack up and give a damn.

3) Learn to be a great leader. This means not blatantly ignoring plays called by your point guard, and then ripping him apart for taking shots that you wanted immediately after. This means firing your teammates up in a good way and not looking like you just woke up from a 4 hour nap. This means bringing championship-level intensity every single night so the opposition fears you. It's not fair to ask this of him because everyone has a different personality, but that's just the way it is. If Kevin Durant can go from being a shy, quiet guy to being one of the fiercest competitors in the game, James Harden can go from being a lazy, sleepy looking bum to a fiery, intense leader.

4) Shave the beard, take a shower, and save the bud for AFTER the game.

:applause:

[Smook A.]

If he plays defense like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63TDVWnZ5K8, Houston has a pretty good chance to get to the WCF or even the Finals. He shut Kobe down in the 4th quarter. Harden can really become a good defender if he puts effort into it

Oh yeah, he also needs to play offense like this in the playoffs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leTk1s7z8o4

[DMAVS41]

It doesn't matter how he plays, his team has to win, point blank. If he plays great in the playoffs every year but his team doesn't win people will just call him a choker/underachiever, etc.

Look at Dirk pre 2011
Look at Bron pre 2012
Look at KG pre 2008

How you play doesn't matter you have to WIN. I don't agree with it but that's how people think. He'll get more respect for playing good and winning than playing great and losing.

Sadly this is true of most.

But luckily, I hope, we aren't stupid normal fans.

Harden needs to play better defense and not dominate the ball quite so much as he does sometimes late in games (McHale is at fault here as well)

But Harden is probably under-rated...He's already as good or better than Derrick Rose ever was.

[Lamar Odumbb]

He needs to show leadership and yell at guys like Jordan and Kobe do. I see Dwight yelling at guys but Harden wants to be the good cop and Dwight the bad cop.

[JellyBean]

Win. All he has to do is lead the Rockets and advance.. if he can lead the Rockets to the WCF or the NBA Finals, he will be okay. If he does not advance out of the first round, well folks will be talking.

[YouGotServed]

He doesn't have to do anything. He's already the best shooting guard in the NBA. Only people who don't respect him are those with the blind hate. Those guys will never stop hating and instead will always look for ways to discredit him.

Harden has cemented himself as the best SG in the league and a top 10 player in the NBA.

[ABfor3]

I'm actually going to have to agree with Milbuck for once, great post btw.. Harden is the best SG in the league but it's not enough, he wants to win a championship (s). In order to do that he would need to quit looking for contact everytime he drives to the hoop and just make the bucket.. Create a midrange game whether is be posting up, or just a consistent jumper, he needs that for when they're locking down his 3pt shot, pump fake and take a dribble inside towards the paint and shoot the elbow jumper or finish it off inside which he's one of the best at doing.
He needs to play some defense, be a leader on both sides of the ball, he's been doin better since the break but he needs to be consistent with it.
Being a leader for this team, the rockets have great chemistry and anybody who follows any of them on Instagram would know that..he has his teammates trust, so he needs to take the next step and be a man of this team..if things go wrong, take responsibility and stop blaming others. He has all the tools to be great, it's just the little things he needs to put together and this team will be scary for years to come