James Harden: ‘I’m a Great Defender’

[smalltown]

“I’m a great defender,” Harden says with a hint of defiance. “But it’s really about being able to focus on carrying a team, scoring 30, while locking somebody down. I’ve done a pretty good job of that this year. I’m definitely not worried about critics. I think everybody goes through stretches where they ball watch or let somebody cut behind them or just small things like that. But if the ball is in front of me, I’m great. It comes down to focus level and knowing where my guy is.”

Discuss.:D

[EMD34]

That's accurate. He's a very good one on one defender, he just gets lost off the ball (though not nearly as much this year). If you guys would actually watch the games instead of youtube clips (from last year) you would know that.

[Gio47]

That's accurate. He's a very good one on one defender, he just gets lost off the ball (though not nearly as much this year). If you guys would actually watch the games instead of youtube clips (from last year) you would know that.

Highly disagree. He's not a good one on one defender at all. He's trying to speak it into existence but it's simply not true. He does not move his feet well on defense. He NEVER gets up into guys and invades their space. That's the true mark of "great" perimeter wing defender. He also is not very strong and can be easily posted up by the 3's he defends. His help defense is embarrassing. He's the best offensive player in the league but still a very below average defender. Everyone will again see it come playoff time that he's still a big liability on the defensive end. The individual matchup exploitations are highly accentuated in a 7 game series much more so than in the 1 off regular season games.

PS I am a professional handicapper and watch NBA for a living.

[IronMonkey415]

Speaking of defense, if I knock the ball away and my teammates picks it up. Is that a steal for me or my teammates?

[Gio47]

Speaking of defense, if I knock the ball away and my teammates picks it up. Is that a steal for me or my teammates?

Steal goes to teammate who came up with the actual possession of the ball.

[EMD34]

Highly disagree. He's not a good one on one defender at all. He's trying to speak it into existence but it's simply not true. He does not move his feet well on defense, rarely gets up into guys and invades their space. He also is not very strong and can be easily posted up by the 3's he defends. He's the best offensive player in the league but still a very below average defender.

Either you're just #@#@#@#@ing with me, or you really don't watch him at all. Harden is probably the strongest SG in the league, and he's a GREAT post defender (97th percentile last year IIRC). Whenever a PF gets it going in the post, McHale puts Harden on him, that's how good of a post defender he is.

[XARZY]

Harden idea of defending= getting player into foul trouble with floppy tickytacky fouls

[Wings]

Steal goes to teammate who came up with the actual possession of the ball.

Nope, steal goes to the one that deflects/causes as long as they touched the ball.

[xavieronly1]

To be fair, this year defense is his best. It is a major improvement over last season.

[smalltown]

To be fair, this year defense is his best. It is a major improvement over last season.

Hard not to improve though wouldn't you agree? He was shockingly bad prior to this year.

[xavieronly1]

Hard not to improve though wouldn't you agree? He was shockingly bad prior to this year.

I agree he was really the worst defender last year, but the improvement was not small. He really did some homework.

By defense RPM:
Last year, #397

This year, #156 (Irving is #285 currently)

[smalltown]

I agree he was really the worst defender last year, but the improvement was not small. He really did some homework.

I think the coach is actually doing a better job trying to manage his match ups. As for Irving - I'm really not sure about his game this year.

[dasiegel]

harden is like carmelo, he has all the tools but it's about the desire. he seems to want ti more this year.

[tristan20]

Harden defends the ball with his beard when he is running to the basket and getting a bunch of flop calls

[Cheken]

Steal goes to teammate who came up with the actual possession of the ball.

I don't think this is true

while I never bothered to keep track of this up until I started paying fanduel :) whoever smacks the ball away is the player credited with the steal stat

[tristan20]

I don't think this is true

while I never bothered to keep track of this up until I started paying fanduel :) whoever smacks the ball away is the player credited with the steal stat

Its a confusing call, sometimes they give it to the guy that picks it up if its a loose ball after the tap. Sometimes they give it to the guy that taps it away from the opposing player, but it has to land into the hands of his own teammate for him to get the steal.

[kairi-2008]

Harden's twitter account was hacked.
Surely a joke. His defence is great, wow, he's not even the best of the Rockets guards and they're not even great.

[IronMonkey415]

Harden playing good defense against Bledsoe.

[currycurrycurry]

Huge game for him today in a win.

[Gio47]

Either you're just #@#@#@#@ing with me, or you really don't watch him at all. Harden is probably the strongest SG in the league, and he's a GREAT post defender (97th percentile last year IIRC). Whenever a PF gets it going in the post, McHale puts Harden on him, that's how good of a post defender he is.

He's not a good defender point blank. Hard to argue the stats. SG's are averaging 23.1ppg vs the Rockets, 2nd most points allowed to SG in the NBA. Last year they were the worst in the NBA at 23.5ppg.

Going by defensive efficiency for those who like the more advanced analytics (since some of you smarter guys might point out that Rockets play a faster PACE so they give up more points, this takes PACE out of the equation), Rockets were a 20.3 last year and exactly the same 20.3 this year.

NBA Team Opponents Stats 2014-2015 - NBA Fantasy Basketball Stats (http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/opponentstats/15/11/pts/1-1)

"GREAT" SG/SF Defenders: Tony Allen, Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Brandon Knight. Not Harden and not even remotely close to those guys.

[Gio47]

Harden playing good defense against Bledsoe.

LMAO. Eric Bledsoe goes off for 32 points last night. Of course he gets his season high last night. Dragic, who I am sure Harden saw time on too, went for 20 points on just 11 shots on 64% shooting despite coming into this game colder than cold.

[Sushiyoshi]

"I am a great defender......'s worst nightmare" is what he meant to say.

[alanlam]

He's not a good defender point blank. Hard to argue the stats. SG's are averaging 23.1ppg vs the Rockets, 2nd most points allowed to SG in the NBA. Last year they were the worst in the NBA at 23.5ppg.

Going by defensive efficiency for those who like the more advanced analytics (since some of you smarter guys might point out that Rockets play a faster PACE so they give up more points, this takes PACE out of the equation), Rockets were a 20.3 last year and exactly the same 20.3 this year.

NBA Team Opponents Stats 2014-2015 - NBA Fantasy Basketball Stats (http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/opponentstats/15/11/pts/1-1)

"GREAT" SG/SF Defenders: Tony Allen, Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Brandon Knight. Not Harden and not even remotely close to those guys.
He doesn't always guard the opposing SG.

He's not great but he's definitely better than he has been. Last year he had a pathetic -2.8 DRPM. This year hes at least in the positive +0.2.

[fezziwig]

He doesn't always guard the opposing SG.

He's not great but he's definitely better than he has been. Last year he had a pathetic -2.8 DRPM. This year hes at least in the positive +0.2.

The DRPM change can be due to getting rid of Brooks, Lin, and Parsons, and replacing them with longer and more versatile players like Ariza, Brewer and Smith.

If you look at their team stats the only noticeable changes from last year is that Houstons steals are up (Ariza), and the Opponent 3pt FG% is down to 32% from 36%. If you revert those two stats back to last years levels, Houston gives up another 4+ ppg and Harden DRPM is likely in the negative.

[alanlam]

The DRPM change can be due to getting rid of Brooks, Lin, and Parsons, and replacing them with longer and more versatile players like Ariza, Brewer and Smith.

If you look at their team stats the only noticeable changes from last year is that Houstons steals are up (Ariza), and the Opponent 3pt FG% is down to 32% from 36%. If you revert those two stats back to last years levels, Houston gives up another 4+ ppg and Harden DRPM is likely in the negative.

RPM stats account for the strengths and weaknesses of a player's opponents and teammates.

Even if it didn't, Houston hasn't had Dwight Howard for nearly 2/3 of the season. He's one of the best defenders in the league. That should negate (at least partially) the gains from upgrading a few defenders.

[spurs50fan]

Can you imagine MJ saying "I'm a great scorer"

Point is you don't have to defend yourself if you know you are. Just play.

[Big Ben Fan]

I thought this was going to be an onion news article