James Harden reacts to criticism of Houston’s style of play (Brace Yourselves)

[Homer38]

___________________________________________________________________________



WHERE IS CURRY, GINOBILI, WADE on this list, these are all of the guards that you posters on here say are better than harden. So even with harden not getting calls in the playoffs.. he is still a more explosive playoff scorer for his career than these guys you are praising lol

Read on Twitter

A 40 point game means nothing if the next game you are terrible....it's important to be consistent and Harden is not in the playoffs...also in 29 playoff series, he only had 2 playoff series of over 30 PPG...the same player who was compared to Jordan as a scorer back in 2019 and 2020 but you can't count on him in big moment

intresting you overlooked the poster highlights the games jordan shot like crap from the field in the playoffs. Id be intrested into looking at jordans ft attempts in those payoff games where he shot bad

I replied to him...all the players had bad games but the difference for Harden, he is one of the superstars with Embiid with the fewest big playoff moments if we combine his big moments and his meltdowns

[NBA4Lyfe]

I don't care about the advanced stats....Look at the video back in 2022,Harden had so many bad playoffs moment

But again, you can do that for pretty much any player. Clearly, Harden was shouldering a massive offensive burden and doing a good job of it. At some point, you need teammates to come through. Even in his athletic prime, Jordan had brutal games where he needed help. He received it; Harden didn't. That's the reason Harden doesn't have a ring on his resume. Jordan was a better player as well, which helped him in his career, but you're dismissing literally anything that would show Harden was actually good. Raw FG% isn't the only tell for player quality, particularly for volume playmakers who are also adept at drawing fouls.

Again, you need to step up in big moment too....Have a big playoff moment.Jordan did it so often in his career...The last time Harden did this in the playoffs in a crucial game and be consistent for most of the playoffs series was when he was still a bench player for OKC vs spurs in 2012

how is harden supposed to step up in the big moment when the nba is sending corrupt refs to officiate his playoff games

look at this graphic below and explain to me how on earth was scott foster allowed to officiate at all in that 2018 wcf playoff series, i went and looked back the losses in that 2018 wcf and it turns that scott foster reffed both game 1 and game 7, which ended up both being rockets home playoff LOSSES. You are contradicting yourself, on one hand you are saying "let the players play" and then at the same time you are totally excusing how nba refs basically dictate these playoff games. The "letting the players play" is only a ruse to allow nba refs to choose when to call whatever foul at anytime they like lol. Can you not see that, how is james harden supposed to overcome getting fouled going to basket and not getting a call.. all that non-call does is count as another missed shot and you wonder why harden shots like crap from the field.. people are just thinking he is bricking when a lot of those misses he is being fouled

https://www.reddit.com/r/sixers/comments/uaur3q/james_harden_is_113_in_playoff_games_officiated/

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/u7oc33/chris_paul_is_now_014_in_playoff_games_reffed_by/


https://www.libertyballers.com/2023/8/30/23852733/ref-accused-of-favoring-celtics-having-twitter-burner-retires-ending-nba-investigation

and just last year ref eric lewis reffed game 6 of the sixers/celtics series which the nba found at least 12 calls that favored the celtics lol. You cant make this up.





AGAIN i have laid out all of the evidence, and im once again asking you how is james harden supposed to overcome everything i just posted to you. Can you find me a stat like this in any sport where 2 nba players with some of the highest winning percentages in nba history seem to go a combined 2-27 when scott foster refs their playoff games. How is harden supposed to overcome this



https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10076049-report-76ers-disadvantaged-by-significant-gap-in-ref-errors-in-game-6-vs-celtics

Read on Twitter

[dhsilv2]

Are you better with nba.com stat than me? I can't find his step back shots now, but my memory is that his step back didn't actually drop off in the playoffs. It was everywhere else. But I can't support that or find it.

In 2018, he was taking pull-up 3s (I realize, not stepbacks) 7.6 times per game at 38.8%. In the playoffs, 8.5 of them per game at 31.1%.

3pt shots, even when they're going down, have high variance. A 30-anything-percent shot is going to miss a lot, and when you're taking 10 or more of them per game, you go cold a lot. Hot and cold. And that's the big book on Harden, because he didn't have those other shots in his bag as often to get him going in the middle, because he just kept leaning into the 3.

Thanks. I thought NBA . com had step backs and harden was freaky like 40%+, but I just spent like 20 minutes there and couldn't find it. I hate their organization...I love the data.

[Homer38]

But again, you can do that for pretty much any player. Clearly, Harden was shouldering a massive offensive burden and doing a good job of it. At some point, you need teammates to come through. Even in his athletic prime, Jordan had brutal games where he needed help. He received it; Harden didn't. That's the reason Harden doesn't have a ring on his resume. Jordan was a better player as well, which helped him in his career, but you're dismissing literally anything that would show Harden was actually good. Raw FG% isn't the only tell for player quality, particularly for volume playmakers who are also adept at drawing fouls.

Again, you need to step up in big moment too....Have a big playoff moment.Jordan did it so often in his career...The last time Harden did this in the playoffs in a crucial game and be consistent for most of the playoffs series was when he was still a bench player for OKC vs spurs in 2012

how is harden supposed to step up in the big moment when the nba is sending corrupt refs to officiate his playoff games

look at this graphic below and explain to me how on earth was scott foster allowed to officiate at all in that 2018 wcf playoff series, i went and looked back the losses in that 2018 wcf and it turns that scott foster reffed both game 1 and game 7, which ended up both being rockets home playoff LOSSES. You are contradicting yourself, on one hand you are saying "let the players play" and then at the same time you are totally excusing how nba refs basically dictate these playoff games. The "letting the players play" is only a ruse to allow nba refs to choose when to call whatever foul at anytime they like lol. Can you not see that, how is james harden supposed to overcome getting fouled going to basket and not getting a call.. all that non-call does is count as another missed shot and you wonder why harden shots like crap from the field.. people are just thinking he is bricking when a lot of those misses he is being fouled

https://www.reddit.com/r/sixers/comments/uaur3q/james_harden_is_113_in_playoff_games_officiated/

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/u7oc33/chris_paul_is_now_014_in_playoff_games_reffed_by/


https://www.libertyballers.com/2023/8/30/23852733/ref-accused-of-favoring-celtics-having-twitter-burner-retires-ending-nba-investigation

and just last year ref eric lewis reffed game 6 of the sixers/celtics series which the nba found at least 12 calls that favored the celtics lol. You cant make this up.





AGAIN i have laid out all of the evidence, and im once again asking you how is james harden supposed to overcome everything i just posted to you. Can you find me a stat like this in any sport where 2 nba players with some of the highest winning percentages in nba history seem to go a combined 2-27 when scott foster refs their playoff games. How is harden supposed to overcome this



https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10076049-report-76ers-disadvantaged-by-significant-gap-in-ref-errors-in-game-6-vs-celtics

Read on Twitter

Again Harden is not able to adapt when the refs let players play more often...In the regular season we saw in the past defenders with their hands behind their backs against Harden, who was way more criminal because Harden had too many soft calls...thank god it's not the case come playoffs time....The refs let both teams play in the warriors-rockets series...yes the refs missed some call but it happens and it was for both team...Houston had 22 FTAs in game 7 vs only 14 for the warriors....it wasn't the refs that caused the rockets to miss 27 threes in a row

[dhsilv2]

A 40 point game means nothing if the next game you are terrible....it's important to be consistent and Harden is not in the playoffs...also in 29 playoff series, he only had 2 playoff series of over 30 PPG...the same player who was compared to Jordan as a scorer back in 2019 and 2020 but you can't count on him in big moment

Teammates are important. It's a lot easier to be consistent with better teammates, especially if you're game is built on more than tough shot making (which was jordan's foundation)....also lets please stop comparing harden to MJ. Harden is more Kobe level, not MJ level. And Kobe likely was a better tough shot maker too.

If he would have spent less energy in the regular season trying to score 50 points against terrible defense, that would help....problem for Harden, it's not the rings, it's the fact he comes small in big moment too often in his career.Remember the end of the series against the depleted spurs in 2017?

The problem was he was asked to carry a team of trash most years. Like I think the MJ vs Harden stuff was insanity. But Harden is an all time great offensive leader, but if you're leading trash and he was. A playoff defense is going to eventually find a way to slow you down.

2017 rockets here are their PER's in terms of minutes played

27.4
12.3
13.2
13.5
13.0
21.4
13.1
18.9
19.2

Of the top 7 guys in the rotation only 2 were above the average player in PER...one being Harden.

A team built like that shouldn't make the playoffs and shouldn't make the second round...unless those guys were all defensive specialists. I guess a few of those guys were good defenders...but nobody on that roster was in the DPOY race ever.

[tsherkin]

Thanks. I thought NBA . com had step backs and harden was freaky like 40%+, but I just spent like 20 minutes there and couldn't find it. I hate their organization...I love the data.

It's there, you just need to dig into the player-specific pages.

He took 175 stepback 3s at 44.6% in the RS in 2018. He was 26/81 (32.1%) in the playoffs.

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201935/shooting?Season=2017-18&SeasonType=Playoffs

[dhsilv2]

Thanks. I thought NBA . com had step backs and harden was freaky like 40%+, but I just spent like 20 minutes there and couldn't find it. I hate their organization...I love the data.

It's there, you just need to dig into the player-specific pages.

He took 175 stepback 3s at 44.6% in the RS in 2018. He was 26/81 (32.1%) in the playoffs.

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201935/shooting?Season=2017-18&SeasonType=Playoffs

My guy! Thank you! I was starting to feel insane for feeling like I knew that metric was out there.

Bigger drop off that I recall but you picked one season...I can dig further if interested now. Again thanks.

[tsherkin]

My guy! Thank you! I was starting to feel insane for feeling like I knew that metric was out there.

Bigger drop off that I recall but you picked one season...I can dig further if interested now. Again thanks.

Glad to help

And yes, that was one very specific season, not the whole breadth of his career (and less than half his RS volume over that postseason, FWIW). Wouldn't take much to put that together, though. Worth noting, that's 2.43 stepbacks per game in the RS and 4.76 in the playoffs that year.

[dhsilv2]

My guy! Thank you! I was starting to feel insane for feeling like I knew that metric was out there.

Bigger drop off that I recall but you picked one season...I can dig further if interested now. Again thanks.

Glad to help

And yes, that was one very specific season, not the whole breadth of his career (and less than half his RS volume over that postseason, FWIW). Wouldn't take much to put that together, though. Worth noting, that's 2.43 stepbacks per game in the RS and 4.76 in the playoffs that year.

That 2017 Rockets team had good players but nobody but Harden and I guess Gordon could create a shot. As much as I am both a fan of Harden and also a realist to how bad his playoff drop off was. I'm even when I try and be objective not sure what people wanted out of him. Like...those teams weren't good enough to win it all. I think he could have made more conference finals...but I don't get people thinking those teams were good enough to win titles.

I also agree with anyone saying the MJ comps were stupid. They were. Harden vs Kobe...now we have a discussion on offense...not scoring where again I think you'd give Kobe's tough shot making an edge (unless you're one and done).

[One_and_Done]

I think the nostalgia is clouding your memories. Go back and watch those games. It's painful.

Particularly during the 2nd three-peat, he was off ball quite a bit, or getting quick touches in the post, not so much extended isos. And while by today's standards, the offense doesn't have a ton of integrated movement, it was one of the most fluid, coordinated systems of passing and ball reversal in the league at the time. It bears mention that the Utah Jazz PnR offense was considered revolutionary for having corner 3pt shooters and a big who could shoot 17-footers, and that Malone's passing was stand out relative to most of his peers.

Some context is relevant. That isn't really on Jordan, who was very good at moving to his spots and letting others handle the ball. It's not like he was Steve Francis'g it the entire time.

It still was sucky compared to today's game. Whether it was less ugly than other clogged toilet offenses of that time I don't care to speak to.

[og15]

I think the nostalgia is clouding your memories. Go back and watch those games. It's painful.

Particularly during the 2nd three-peat, he was off ball quite a bit, or getting quick touches in the post, not so much extended isos. And while by today's standards, the offense doesn't have a ton of integrated movement, it was one of the most fluid, coordinated systems of passing and ball reversal in the league at the time. It bears mention that the Utah Jazz PnR offense was considered revolutionary for having corner 3pt shooters and a big who could shoot 17-footers, and that Malone's passing was stand out relative to most of his peers.

Some context is relevant. That isn't really on Jordan, who was very good at moving to his spots and letting others handle the ball. It's not like he was Steve Francis'g it the entire time.

It still was sucky compared to today's game. Whether it was less ugly than other clogged toilet offenses of that time I don't care to speak to.

Not sure why it makes sense to go back a criticize past players for their teams not having modern strategies.

You can only compete in the setting that you are placed in.

[Rust_Cohle]

Funny thing is Houston probably would've beat Golden State a few years ago if CP3 didn't get injured and if
they beat the Warriors then they probably would've have beat the Cavs and they would be champs
and nobody would question their style of play at all.

It's funny how a missed shot here or an injury there and the narrative completely changes

Missing an all time 27 straight 3’s in a game 7 no less was a moronic strategy which is what cost Houston against the Golden State Warriors.

Just awful to watch that unfold and I’ll forever be grateful they never got rewarded for that. Was horrible to watch.

[tsherkin]

Funny thing is Houston probably would've beat Golden State a few years ago if CP3 didn't get injured and if
they beat the Warriors then they probably would've have beat the Cavs and they would be champs
and nobody would question their style of play at all.

It's funny how a missed shot here or an injury there and the narrative completely changes

Missing an all time 27 straight 3’s in a game 7 no less was a moronic strategy which is what cost Houston against the Golden State Warriors.

Just awful to watch that unfold and I’ll forever be grateful they never got rewarded for that. Was horrible to watch.

Is worth remembering that Harden was 10/16 inside the arc that game, it's just that the rest of the team was so abysmally useless that no one could have won with that level of incompetence orbiting them.

[Iwasawitness]

But again, you can do that for pretty much any player. Clearly, Harden was shouldering a massive offensive burden and doing a good job of it. At some point, you need teammates to come through. Even in his athletic prime, Jordan had brutal games where he needed help. He received it; Harden didn't. That's the reason Harden doesn't have a ring on his resume. Jordan was a better player as well, which helped him in his career, but you're dismissing literally anything that would show Harden was actually good. Raw FG% isn't the only tell for player quality, particularly for volume playmakers who are also adept at drawing fouls.

Again, you need to step up in big moment too....Have a big playoff moment.Jordan did it so often in his career...The last time Harden did this in the playoffs in a crucial game and be consistent for most of the playoffs series was when he was still a bench player for OKC vs spurs in 2012

how is harden supposed to step up in the big moment when the nba is sending corrupt refs to officiate his playoff games

look at this graphic below and explain to me how on earth was scott foster allowed to officiate at all in that 2018 wcf playoff series, i went and looked back the losses in that 2018 wcf and it turns that scott foster reffed both game 1 and game 7, which ended up both being rockets home playoff LOSSES. You are contradicting yourself, on one hand you are saying "let the players play" and then at the same time you are totally excusing how nba refs basically dictate these playoff games. The "letting the players play" is only a ruse to allow nba refs to choose when to call whatever foul at anytime they like lol. Can you not see that, how is james harden supposed to overcome getting fouled going to basket and not getting a call.. all that non-call does is count as another missed shot and you wonder why harden shots like crap from the field.. people are just thinking he is bricking when a lot of those misses he is being fouled

https://www.reddit.com/r/sixers/comments/uaur3q/james_harden_is_113_in_playoff_games_officiated/

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/u7oc33/chris_paul_is_now_014_in_playoff_games_reffed_by/


https://www.libertyballers.com/2023/8/30/23852733/ref-accused-of-favoring-celtics-having-twitter-burner-retires-ending-nba-investigation

and just last year ref eric lewis reffed game 6 of the sixers/celtics series which the nba found at least 12 calls that favored the celtics lol. You cant make this up.





AGAIN i have laid out all of the evidence, and im once again asking you how is james harden supposed to overcome everything i just posted to you. Can you find me a stat like this in any sport where 2 nba players with some of the highest winning percentages in nba history seem to go a combined 2-27 when scott foster refs their playoff games. How is harden supposed to overcome this



https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10076049-report-76ers-disadvantaged-by-significant-gap-in-ref-errors-in-game-6-vs-celtics

Read on Twitter

He can overcome it by telling the refs to turn the magnets back on during his games.

[ChipotleWest]

Can he possibly redeem himself as the 3rd best player on a team? Seems iffy. The days of him leading a team are over. Have been really since he joined the Sixers.

[Sweet Serenity]

NBA4Lyfe is going to have a mental breakdown when Harden retires

[Hangtime84]

Considering he the broke the turnover record twice during those offensive years. It wasn't that effective.

What he saying is correct but his implementation of it wasn't.

[KembaWalker]

Harden and Doncic on realgm is basically the “hello, Human Resources?!” meme in action

[NBA4Lyfe]

Considering he the broke the turnover record twice during those offensive years. It wasn't that effective.

What he saying is correct but his implementation of it wasn't.

and even with all those tournaments he finished with highest overall 538 raptor war from 2018-2020

[UglyBugBall]

But again, you can do that for pretty much any player. Clearly, Harden was shouldering a massive offensive burden and doing a good job of it. At some point, you need teammates to come through. Even in his athletic prime, Jordan had brutal games where he needed help. He received it; Harden didn't. That's the reason Harden doesn't have a ring on his resume. Jordan was a better player as well, which helped him in his career, but you're dismissing literally anything that would show Harden was actually good. Raw FG% isn't the only tell for player quality, particularly for volume playmakers who are also adept at drawing fouls.

Again, you need to step up in big moment too....Have a big playoff moment.Jordan did it so often in his career...The last time Harden did this in the playoffs in a crucial game and be consistent for most of the playoffs series was when he was still a bench player for OKC vs spurs in 2012

how is harden supposed to step up in the big moment when the nba is sending corrupt refs to officiate his playoff games

look at this graphic below and explain to me how on earth was scott foster allowed to officiate at all in that 2018 wcf playoff series, i went and looked back the losses in that 2018 wcf and it turns that scott foster reffed both game 1 and game 7, which ended up both being rockets home playoff LOSSES. You are contradicting yourself, on one hand you are saying "let the players play" and then at the same time you are totally excusing how nba refs basically dictate these playoff games. The "letting the players play" is only a ruse to allow nba refs to choose when to call whatever foul at anytime they like lol. Can you not see that, how is james harden supposed to overcome getting fouled going to basket and not getting a call.. all that non-call does is count as another missed shot and you wonder why harden shots like crap from the field.. people are just thinking he is bricking when a lot of those misses he is being fouled

https://www.reddit.com/r/sixers/comments/uaur3q/james_harden_is_113_in_playoff_games_officiated/

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/u7oc33/chris_paul_is_now_014_in_playoff_games_reffed_by/


https://www.libertyballers.com/2023/8/30/23852733/ref-accused-of-favoring-celtics-having-twitter-burner-retires-ending-nba-investigation

and just last year ref eric lewis reffed game 6 of the sixers/celtics series which the nba found at least 12 calls that favored the celtics lol. You cant make this up.





AGAIN i have laid out all of the evidence, and im once again asking you how is james harden supposed to overcome everything i just posted to you. Can you find me a stat like this in any sport where 2 nba players with some of the highest winning percentages in nba history seem to go a combined 2-27 when scott foster refs their playoff games. How is harden supposed to overcome this



https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10076049-report-76ers-disadvantaged-by-significant-gap-in-ref-errors-in-game-6-vs-celtics

Read on Twitter

So you're conceeding that harden relies on refs to win games. Problem is in the playoffs fouls needs to be called differently and hardens gimmicky foul baiting game doesn't work. That's on harden not the refs.