Clippers commentator: Harden is manipulating the game... CHEATING it

[Smoke117]

Even setting aside the ft's and ref baiting, there is nothing entertaining about Harden's game...unless you enjoy watching a guy dribbling for 5 secs and then take a step back 3pter 10 times a game and make basic layups.

[solar.hands]

How will DeRozan and the Spurs do in the playoffs?

Derozan and the playoffs... thats not even a question.

[3ball]

Notice the commentator is not talking about the flopping/foul baiting aspect of Harden's game. He's just talking about the lack of ball movement and ball dominance. Funny cuz [COLOR="Blue"]this is the same shit hating old heads were saying about MJ[/COLOR] in the 80's. And then MJ shat on their heroes
MJ shut them up by winning. Harden needs to win a ring at least once if he wants to do the same. As for the flopping and foul baiting? I have no issue with Harden but I do have an issue with the league rewarding it as much as it does.

You're conflating high shot attempts (MJ) with ball-dominance (harden and today's players)

There's a big difference - people complained about MJ's shot attempts, but not his ball-domination because MJ wasn't bringing the ball up court and was a highly-assisted player, as off-guards typically are

Harden is a low-assisted player (and therefore low ball movement) and ball-dominator.. MJ wasn't that

No one even used the term "ball-dominination" back then because no one dribbled like today's guards and wings

You never saw MJ come down and dribble the air out every play... The offensive sets were different and didn't call for that - there was no spread floor and dribbling 15-20 seconds of the shot clock every play.. there just wasn't
.

[AlternativeAcc.]

I don't think anyone other than the players and smart fans know how hard it is to do what Harden does. To be so skilled that you piss off people for your style of play speaks to how unstoppable Harden is in the regular season. This is a compliment

[Mr.GOAT2408]

The fouls and freethrows go without being said.

Harden's game is essentially threes and layups. Not a lot of flavor. He doesn't play much off the basketball, and his time of possession is probably crazy. Its got to be higher than LeBron's...right?

Time of Possession - 9.4 seconds, 2nd place is Lillard with 7.7. LeBron is 11th at 6.3

Seconds per touch - 6.39 seconds, 2nd place is Lillard with 5.68. LeBron is 17th at 4.52

I'm just going off of guys that play 30+ min and 50+ games but it doesn't change much, he handles the ball way more than anyone. Him Westbrook, Wall have historically handled the ball way too much since tracking data has been accessible

I'll give the Rockets management props though, they've built a team where it can win games. Postseason games though...

[Vragrant]

Its not cheating, but his style of play is shameless, and despicable. You know if defenders are forced to play with their hands above their shoulders and give him several feet of space, something is off. His style of play is setting a dangerous precedent. They really need to address this and allow more contact into the game.

Also for someone who is built like a tank, he HATES physicality. I've seen him several times absolutely lose it over some incidental contact. I remember a game in Sac this year when he got upset over a guy grazing his beard. Really? Probably a result of his mental makeup and getting coddled by the officiating.

[Bronbron23]

https://twitter.com/DimeUPROXX/statu...61465175777285



this old man put it perfectly, what James Harden is doing just isn't basketball. This style of boxscore manipulation started with Lebron and Harden took it to the logical conclusion.

I'm not a harden fan but that's just stupid. How is he cheating the game? He's just taking advantage of the weak defensive era he's in. You can't blame him.

[bobopenguin]

I'm not a harden fan but that's just stupid. How is he cheating the game? He's just taking advantage of the weak defensive era he's in. You can't blame him.

ppl dont come to arena to watch FT practice.
have some sense of decency.

[Vragrant]

ppl dont come to arena to watch FT practice.
have some sense of decency.

Exactly. When the announcer says it doesn't look like basketball, he kind of has a point. When you have defenders playing way off him with their hands way outstretched in the air, because they're petrified off touching him that isn't good. If the rules don't allow a player too face any resistance, that isn't good for the game.

Plus we all know how success breeds copycats. Pretty soon were' looking at flag football out there. Although the playoffs entirely different, so's theres that.