All-NBA discussion

[Mogspan]

Antetokounmpo
Edwards
Gilgeous-Alexander
Jokić
Tatum

Curry
Jackson, Jr.
Mitchell
Mobley
Towns

Cunningham
Haliburton
Harden
James
Şengün

[LoneyROY]

James Harden is an All-NBA player this year. He got off to a rough shooting start re-adjusting to being a top scoring option, but he has been nothing short of elite the 2nd half of the season. Huge games whenever the Clippers needed them + kept the team afloat while Kawhi was out.

Still a very high impact player.

He's been a good playmaker and not an objectionable defender. He's been up and down all year as a scorer, though. As ever, he's got very little scoring game when his 3pt shot isn't falling. He's been completely useless at getting to the rim this year, the worst season of his career in that regard, and it's really impacted his ability to be of much use as a scorer, particularly in games when his 3 isn't falling. Which is often, because he's highly inconsistent from there. He's also been pulling up at the nail and otherwise in the bottom half of the circle more than any other season in his career, and shooting under 40% there, which isn't good at all. Being forced to his short game because he can't make it all the way to the rim, etc.

"Elite" and "All-NBA" are a little hyperbolic for this season.

"Completely useless at getting to the rim?"

Read on Twitter

Interesting that someone useless at getting to the rim has the number 2 blow-by rate.

"'Elite' and 'All-NBA' are a little hyperbolic for this season"

Let's take a look at Harden's last 21 games in which they went 18-3. The stretch that allowed the Clippers to now be sitting at 50 wins as the 5th seed in an absurd Western Conference.

26/9/6 on 47/40/86. Elite. All-NBA.

Harden played his best basketball when it mattered most and is a huge reason why the Clippers are in the position they are now to compete against anyone in the coming playoffs. Nothing hyperbolic about that at all.

[tsherkin]

Interesting that someone useless at getting to the rim has the number 2 blow-by rate.

Less than 11% of his shot attempts are in the RA, despite being 9th in the league in drives per game among guys with 30+ GP.

Let's take a look at Harden's last 21 games in which they went 18-3. The stretch that allowed the Clippers to now be sitting at 50 wins as the 5th seed in an absurd Western Conference.

26/9/6 on 47/40/86. Elite. All-NBA.

A quarter season isn't All-NBA.

[brackdan70]

Interesting that someone useless at getting to the rim has the number 2 blow-by rate.

Less than 11% of his shot attempts are in the RA, despite being 9th in the league in drives per game among guys with 30+ GP.

Let's take a look at Harden's last 21 games in which they went 18-3. The stretch that allowed the Clippers to now be sitting at 50 wins as the 5th seed in an absurd Western Conference.

26/9/6 on 47/40/86. Elite. All-NBA.

A quarter season isn't All-NBA.

If that quarter season is enough to push you into being a top 10 impact player, for the season, IDK, maybe it is.

[tsherkin]

If that quarter season is enough to push you into being a top 10 impact player, for the season, IDK, maybe it is.

Can't say I agree, no.

Harden's a good player still, but All-NBA is pushing it pretty hard. I know he took his lumps in his prime because everyone and their mother hated the aesthetics of his foul-baiting BS (kind of like with Embiid), but his efficacy was pointedly remarkable. He's tailed off in recent years, and it's a lot to do with his scoring. And yeah, 21 games mean only so much in the context of the other 61 (or I guess 58 in his case). Was nice to see him play 79 games, though. Been over a half-decade since he played more than 72 and last year was the first time he played 70+ since 2019.

[brackdan70]

If that quarter season is enough to push you into being a top 10 impact player, for the season, IDK, maybe it is.

Can't say I agree, no.

Harden's a good player still, but All-NBA is pushing it pretty hard. I know he took his lumps in his prime because everyone and their mother hated the aesthetics of his foul-baiting BS (kind of like with Embiid), but his efficacy was pointedly remarkable. He's tailed off in recent years, and it's a lot to do with his scoring. And yeah, 21 games mean only so much in the context of the other 61 (or I guess 58 in his case). Was nice to see him play 79 games, though. Been over a half-decade since he played more than 72 and last year was the first time he played 70+ since 2019.

Looking at his game logs it seems he was actually quite good throughout the season. Especially with impact. Had some ugly games though. I get the efficiency issue and don’t disagree that having Kawhi healthy is huge .
I won’t ever die on Harden Hill though I do have him as all NBA this year, I can understand arguments for leaving him out and moving other guys in.

[tsherkin]

Looking at his game logs it seems he was actually quite good throughout the season. Especially with impact. Had some ugly games though. I get the efficiency issue and don’t disagree that having Kawhi healthy is huge .
I won’t ever die on Harden Hill though I do have him as all NBA this year, I can understand arguments for leaving him out and moving other guys in.

Yeah, like, I don't want to say Harden is crap. That's obviously wrong. His playmaking has remained good enough that even in a disappointing season as a scorer, he's a net-positive offensive player. But compared to All-NBA level stuff, he isn't really there this year and 21 games don't do it for me. But on the whole, he was clearly a positive contributor for the Clippers, no doubt.

[Roger Murdock]

Locks:
Guard - SGA, Mitchell, Curry, Edwards
Forward - Giannis, Tatum, Mobley, JJJ
Center - Jokic, Towns

Seems to me there are basically 5 spots open for LeBron, Harden, Zubac, Sengun, Haliburton, Garland, Cunningham, and 1-2 others guys I'm probably forgetting.