James Harden's struggles on defense are well-documented.
Countless videos on YouTube, both from this past NBA season and his recent tenure with Team USA during the 2014 FIBA World Cup, demonstrate a complete lack of defensive effort.
His reputation on that end of the floor has followed accordingly, with Harden now considered among the NBA's worst defenders. But is this type of inductive reasoning really justified?
Harden has been caught mindlessly wandering around the perimeter while his man cuts to the basket. He can be seen lazily swiping at the ball, refusing to slide his feet quickly during help rotation while a ball-handler coasts to the rim for an easy opportunity.
The egregious nature of some of his worst lapses has all but sealed his reputation in the court of public opinion. Each ensuing error only piles on the narrative even further, solidifying his status as a clear-cut defensive liability.
But the label implies a logical leap that overlooks a crucial aspect of defense—technical ability.
Defense is both effort and skill.
There's zero doubt th ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Dylan Murphy
Do We Have James Harden’s Defensive Reputation All Wrong?
September 16th, 2014 by Dylan Murphy Leave a reply »
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