James Harden is something else

This season, NBA fans have been treated to something extraordinary: James Harden. The superstar guard has put the entire Rockets team on his back, and has had one of the greatest seasons from a player in NBA History. Today, we will be taking a deep dive into the uniqueness and speciality of Harden's game, and seeing what separates him from the rest. Arguably the most single manned centered style of game in the past decade, Harden's game revolves around one main component: the isolation.

Right now, Harden has an astounding 40.3% usage rate. This means that 40% of all Houston Rockets possessions run through Harden. The next closest player is Joel Embiid, with 33%. Specifically, in his iso game, his step back is the killer move. While the move has become a bit of a meme amongst NBA fans, it is quite effective. Harden creates over a foot of separation in just that one step, which is more than enough for him to sink a three in the defenders face. This is Harden's go to move, and of his NBA high 312 three pointers made this year, an incredible 179 of them have been off of a step back. That's over 57%! If we just look at attempts, about 53% of his threes are off this move.

Left: Step back threes. Right: All threes.

Another area in the isolation where Harden excels is the art of getting to the hoop and drawing fouls. When defenders play up on Harden in fear of having a three pointer drilled in their face, Harden uses his size and athleticism to get to the rim. There, the opposition has no choice but to foul him. Harden has shot 131 more free throws than the second highest player, and sinks them at an 87.5% clip. This has made Harden a threat from every inch of the court.

Despite his on court greatness, Harden has been repeatedly bashed for playing a style of basketball that can't win championships. NBA Legend Kobe Bryant, who at times has been forced to play like Harden himself, said that "The Rockets can't win with Harden dominating the ball". This is partially true, as sometimes four Houston Rockets players will be staring at Harden and letting him do all the work. Others say that Harden's play style slows down the game, and makes it boring to watch. They also say that Harden takes way too many shots, and that his stats don't paint the whole picture. For example, during his 61 point outburst versus the Knicks, Harden took 38 shots and 20 threes, and made 17 and 5, respectively.

While these people are correct, it is not Harden's fault. During his historic 30 point streak, Harden was without point guard Chris Paul or center Clint Capela for long periods of time. This forced Harden to make something happen with the ball in his hands. Kobe is also right. Historically, the only team that has come close to winning a championship centered around a one man show are the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers led by Allen Iverson. For the Rockets to be considered as serious contenders, they need a fully healthy squad and more ball sharing, perhaps more focused on the Chris Paul-James Harden pick and roll. They are creeping towards that, and displayed it in wins against the Warriors recently. Until then, why doesn't everyone appreciate the painstakingly slow, somehow efficient game of James Harden.