RightToCensor
03-21-2015, 01:09 PM
6-5, 222 lbs. sounds like an average shooting guard right? Add Drew-League handles, a knockdown 3 point shot, an ability to get to the Free Throw line, a left hand dribble and what do you get? The most unguardable player in the league.
http://i.gyazo.com/8c107c245f54315fc150f1c6d437c0d4.png
If you're tuning through NBA Games and suddenly stop on the 46-22 Houston Rockets you're likely to see the ball in James Harden's hand either euro-stepping his way through traffic, taking a three off the dribble, or on the free throw line. If you're an outsider looking in you think to yourself, "Why is this guy so effective? How does he get so many calls? How does he have 46 wins in a stacked West? What makes James Harden so good?" To answer all those questions, I'll respond by saying that James Harden is the best player in the league and the greatest offensive SG since Michael Jeffery Jordan.
http://i.gyazo.com/2be09f7b7a2253b6db439fc24a0f2c01.png
Look deep into James Harden's production as a Houston Rocket:
(using bbref with the criteria of players 6-4 to 6-7 that are guards)
PPG (27), APG (7), and WS (sorted): Ranks 9th behind Big O, Jordan, and Wade
AST% (34.8) and WS (sorted): Ranks 5th behind Big O, Gary Payton, and Dwyane Wade
USG% (30.0) and WS (sorted): Ranks 16th behind Michael Jordan (10), Kobe, Dwyane Wade
TS% (.600) and WS (sorted): Ranks 7th through 9th behind Jordan, Penny, and Ray Allen
http://i.gyazo.com/0a350dc94a3d0bec2fd502a28f14ccce.png
Harden meanwhile has reached a place where some fans can consider him an all-time great playmaker at the position, maybe the best of second behind "The Logo" Jerry West. In fact before he got to Houston it was how he made his name; nobody thought he was anything like the scorer he is now, what most people saw in him was the ability to get the offensive engine running at far higher octane than either Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant could do by themselves. Most people didn't see him reaching MVP level via scoring, but rather as running an offense if he were ever to reach that level.
http://i.gyazo.com/eb31b928c1ff676110d93c18632c22de.png
James Harden entered the Houston Rockets fresh off winning the Sixth Man of the Year award, winning the Gold Medal in the 2012 London Olympics, and an unfortunate loss in the NBA Finals against Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Fans never knew how James Harden would translate as going from the main option off the bench to the main option on an entire team, but we knew one thing, that James Harden would mean more to the Oklahoma City than they think he meant. Throughout three season, 145 wins, and 1835 free throws later James Harden would establish himself as the greatest backcourt player in the history of the Houston Rockets' 48 seasons as a team. This season, The Beard is leading the running for the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player award, if he were to win the award he'd be in the company of his own as players who won have the Sixth Man of the Year before being named MVP of the league.
http://i.gyazo.com/666bbbdebbd635a701e04511bbb1e95d.png
So lets go over James Harden's potential for All-Time Greatness:
Age: 25 (5th Season)
Current Per Game Averages: 27.0 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, .601 TS%, 26.3 PER, .258 WS/48
Career Per Game Averages (HOU): 26.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, .606 TS%, 24.1 PER, .227 WS/48
Awards: 2012 Western Conference Champion, 2012 London Olympic Gold Medalist, 2012 Sixth Man of the Year, 2014 FIBA World Cup Gold Medalist, 3x NBA All-Star, 2x? All-NBA First Team (2014, 2015?), All-NBA Third Team (2013), 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player?
http://i.gyazo.com/a3725eaa0ddec0f60d59103e33accd43.png
http://i.gyazo.com/8c107c245f54315fc150f1c6d437c0d4.png
If you're tuning through NBA Games and suddenly stop on the 46-22 Houston Rockets you're likely to see the ball in James Harden's hand either euro-stepping his way through traffic, taking a three off the dribble, or on the free throw line. If you're an outsider looking in you think to yourself, "Why is this guy so effective? How does he get so many calls? How does he have 46 wins in a stacked West? What makes James Harden so good?" To answer all those questions, I'll respond by saying that James Harden is the best player in the league and the greatest offensive SG since Michael Jeffery Jordan.
http://i.gyazo.com/2be09f7b7a2253b6db439fc24a0f2c01.png
Look deep into James Harden's production as a Houston Rocket:
(using bbref with the criteria of players 6-4 to 6-7 that are guards)
PPG (27), APG (7), and WS (sorted): Ranks 9th behind Big O, Jordan, and Wade
AST% (34.8) and WS (sorted): Ranks 5th behind Big O, Gary Payton, and Dwyane Wade
USG% (30.0) and WS (sorted): Ranks 16th behind Michael Jordan (10), Kobe, Dwyane Wade
TS% (.600) and WS (sorted): Ranks 7th through 9th behind Jordan, Penny, and Ray Allen
http://i.gyazo.com/0a350dc94a3d0bec2fd502a28f14ccce.png
Harden meanwhile has reached a place where some fans can consider him an all-time great playmaker at the position, maybe the best of second behind "The Logo" Jerry West. In fact before he got to Houston it was how he made his name; nobody thought he was anything like the scorer he is now, what most people saw in him was the ability to get the offensive engine running at far higher octane than either Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant could do by themselves. Most people didn't see him reaching MVP level via scoring, but rather as running an offense if he were ever to reach that level.
http://i.gyazo.com/eb31b928c1ff676110d93c18632c22de.png
James Harden entered the Houston Rockets fresh off winning the Sixth Man of the Year award, winning the Gold Medal in the 2012 London Olympics, and an unfortunate loss in the NBA Finals against Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Fans never knew how James Harden would translate as going from the main option off the bench to the main option on an entire team, but we knew one thing, that James Harden would mean more to the Oklahoma City than they think he meant. Throughout three season, 145 wins, and 1835 free throws later James Harden would establish himself as the greatest backcourt player in the history of the Houston Rockets' 48 seasons as a team. This season, The Beard is leading the running for the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player award, if he were to win the award he'd be in the company of his own as players who won have the Sixth Man of the Year before being named MVP of the league.
http://i.gyazo.com/666bbbdebbd635a701e04511bbb1e95d.png
So lets go over James Harden's potential for All-Time Greatness:
Age: 25 (5th Season)
Current Per Game Averages: 27.0 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, .601 TS%, 26.3 PER, .258 WS/48
Career Per Game Averages (HOU): 26.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, .606 TS%, 24.1 PER, .227 WS/48
Awards: 2012 Western Conference Champion, 2012 London Olympic Gold Medalist, 2012 Sixth Man of the Year, 2014 FIBA World Cup Gold Medalist, 3x NBA All-Star, 2x? All-NBA First Team (2014, 2015?), All-NBA Third Team (2013), 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player?
http://i.gyazo.com/a3725eaa0ddec0f60d59103e33accd43.png