Isolation plays are his bread and butter. When a player this hot is left to his own devices, you can only hope and pray his defender does not suffer any broken ankles. Wesley Johnson, Jamal Murray, and Rickey Rubio can attest to this notion. Pundits agree as well. Scottie Pippen, when questioned over what he would do to stop James Harden, started off by saying:
“Well, first off of all, you’d have to start guarding James Harden when he gets out of his car going to the arena.”
It’s a testament when a player like Pippen praises Harden by describing how difficult it is to defend against him.
Moreover, when guarding Harden, there is essentially no safe space a defender can depend on where he can miss a 3-point shot. As documented by ESPN, Harden shoots at around 40% in almost every section behind the arc. And even if he does miss, he won’t stop chucking. He’s 1st place in both 3-pointers made and attempted for a reason.
James Harden's shot chart is unbelievable 😳
(via @kirkgoldsberry) pic.twitter.com/ARIodbGcfZ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 24, 2019
Of course, his 3-point shooting and isolation abilities are not the only things Harden possesses. He can also drive to the basket like a freight train while inviting contact to then draw fouls and collect free throws. While effective, this has infuriated players and fans alike as they believe his drawn fouls are nonexistent if one rewatches the given play in slow motion. It’s because of this sentiment that memes were made to undermine Harden’s historic string of performances.
Regardless of the constant chastising, points are still points. Harden will continue to pile on his numbers as the season goes past the halfway point. That won’t stop the haters from deriding Harden though.
In the end, Harden is taking everything in stride. He’s living in the moment and enjoying his game. He’s at his peak and he knows it. When asked for his thoughts over the past couple of months after helping the Rockets defeat the Lakers 138-134 in overtime on January 19th, he said he didn’t have anything to say. “I’m just being me,” he says.
Indeed you are, James. Indeed you are.
