Draft Countdown: James Harden

[rdtx2005]

WHAT?.. a Harden thread without his BIGGEST FAN CHOKER?

What does that have to do with anything? You're basing your assessment off of 3 games. Harden's body of work still makes him a top 5 pick.

you obviously missed the underlying joke..

[Fairview4Life]

how many years does Mike Miller have remaining?

1. Expiring after the 09/10 season.

[ghuytro]

Harden is the type of player who would compliment Bargs/Bosh beautifully.

Complements Bargs/Bosh/Marion beautifully I think.

You need an athletic offensive garbageman, rebounder, defender at the SF if you're going to run Jose, Harden, ??, Bosh, Bargnani out there.

If we draft Harden, I'd love to see us resign Marion somehow.

[Kabookalu]

you obviously missed the underlying joke..

That you love mentioning my name every time Harden is mentioned

Complements Bargs/Bosh/Marion beautifully I think.

You need an athletic offensive garbageman, rebounder, defender at the SF if you're going to run Jose, Harden, ??, Bosh, Bargnani out there.

If we draft Harden, I'd love to see us resign Marion somehow.

He also compliments Calderon because Calderon isn't a guy that can fully handle the responsibilities of always being the main playmaker and ballhandler for the Raptors. Parker doesn't quite cut it because he's not a threat enough as a scorer to compliment Calderon that well.

[Dennis P]

you obviously missed the underlying joke..

That you love mentioning my name every time Harden is mentioned

Complements Bargs/Bosh/Marion beautifully I think.

You need an athletic offensive garbageman, rebounder, defender at the SF if you're going to run Jose, Harden, ??, Bosh, Bargnani out there.

If we draft Harden, I'd love to see us resign Marion somehow.

He also compliments Calderon because Calderon isn't a guy that can fully handle the responsibilities of always being the main ballhandler for the Raptors. Parker doesn't quite cut it because he's not a threat enough as a scorer to compliment Calderon that well.

fixed.

[JN]

His seasonsal stats are overinflated by OOC play... much more so then most NCAA prospects. His last 13 games he aveages 16PPG. 42% FG. 31% Three. Perhaps he was injured down the stretch.

But his lack of assertivess as games got more important is a little disconcerting.

I think the Michael Redd comparison is actually a very good comparison, of even where he was at entering the NBA. Redd had a similar game and similar stats at Ohio St, (and reached the final four) and yet did not go until 43rd in the draft.

[Dennis P]

I hear that but remember Harden will just be a piece. This team needs a lot more than just him I think he fills a hole for sure though.

[ansoncarter]

synergySports/dx say he can't shoot off the dribble and can't hit contested shots

I was hoping that stuff was his bread and butter.

how is he going to be a scorer if he also isn't a great outside shooter, and probably too small/slow to be a finisher like in college

[Chpwags]

I just saw this and didn't see it posted yet.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009 ... our-090515

[supersub15]

Apart from his skillset, this is good information:

"He's one of those kids that's a throwback from a different era," one NBA GM said. "His background came back as clean as it gets. His coach and teammates rave about him. He's all business on and off the court."

Please God, #3 pick!!

[israeli_jordan]

Man, you were in the zone today. You had a game like James Harden.

Can you imagine, playing a game with Harden?

Look, maybe we can if the Raptors get the 3rd pick and Rubio has already been selected.

[Stacks]

We might have some defensive issues in our back court if we pair up Harden and Calderon, but given how weak this draft is and how weak our SG position is, I really couldn't ask for a much better scenario.

I'd be thrilled if we ended up with third pick and drafted him.

[Rhettmatic]

Nice read. It's the third in his series, so go to these links if you're more interested in Hasheem Thabeet or Blake Griffin.

And Harden:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009 ... our-090515

First, he seems to have lost 10 to 15 pounds since we saw him last in the NCAA tournament. His face is thinner, his abs more chiseled. The improved physique and conditioning have given him an added quickness and explosiveness that you didn't always see at Arizona State.

"He reminds me a little of Brandon Roy," another NBA executive said. "When you watched him in college, he didn't look like an elite athlete because he was using his knowledge of the game, not his athleticism, to get by people. Then he gets to the combine and does really well in all of the athletic testing and everyone was wowed.

"Harden's like that. He's got sneaky athleticism."

He also has two other physical advantages that should help in the pros. While he's at the average height for 2-guards in the league (6-foot-5 ½ in shoes, according to his trainer) he has a 6-foot-11 wingspan that allows him to wreak havoc in the lane and a thick base that gives him the ability to post up smaller, weaker guards in the paint.

Second, Harden is showing a marked improvement in his 3-point shooting. While Harden would have been categorized as a good shooter already, he wasn't a dead-eye, either -- especially late in the season. You can see that he's been working on increasing his range and accuracy, and in the workout I saw, he was hitting just about everything he threw up there.

His form looks great and his release is quick. Over time he's going to need to continue to develop that skill. Since he doesn't have a super quick first step, he's going to need defenders to play him close on the perimeter to use his creativity to get to the rim.

Finally, Harden seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder. After absolutely dominating the first half of his sophomore season, his play began to fall off in Pac-10 play. Teams were double- and triple-teaming him and at times he grew passive and would mentally fall out of games.

I figured he'd lose a little bit of weight before the draft, and I'm glad to see he has. I think Harden will absolutely be the real deal in the NBA. Who agrees/disagrees?

[totallyr]

"Harden's like that. He's got sneaky athleticism.", That's how i've always seen Brandon Roys game. If that is true i have no problem if we draft him.

[KG1585]

I agree Harden will be a very good player. I just don't see the Raps getting him unless they get the top 3 pick.

[ayo_23]

Wow... he's lost a good amount of weight. Face looks skinny now.

[Dennis P]

I figured he'd lose a little bit of weight before the draft, and I'm glad to see he has. I think Harden will absolutely be the real deal in the NBA. Who agrees/disagrees?

He's just about the only person in the Draft I REALLY REALLY want. I just hope we move into the top 3 there is no way in hell he drops to 9

[dagger]

Nice read. It's the third in his series, so go to these links if you're more interested in Hasheem Thabeet or Blake Griffin.

And Harden:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009 ... our-090515

First, he seems to have lost 10 to 15 pounds ...he improved physique and conditioning have given him an added quickness and explosiveness that you didn't always see at Arizona State.

"He reminds me a little of Brandon Roy," another NBA executive said.

"Harden's like that. He's got sneaky athleticism."

Second, Harden is showing a marked improvement in his 3-point shooting. You can see that he's been working on increasing his range and accuracy, and in the workout I saw, he was hitting just about everything he threw up there.

His form looks great and his release is quick.

Finally, Harden seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder.

I think Harden will absolutely be the real deal in the NBA. Who agrees/disagrees?

I'm not disputing that Harden will be a good pro and all, but you have to be amazed at the hype machine at work, not just for him but all of these guys who have spent the last three weeks in the gym.

It's always the same with these post-season workouts as described by the "draft experts".

He will lose weight. (Well, what the FAQ was he doing all season long, playing twice a week, practising daily - eating an all goose-liver diet? Downing 24 pints a day? You'd think of all the smart coaches in college a Pitino or Calipari or Williams or Coach K would say to these guys, "I think you'd play a lot better, even improve your draft stock, if you laid off the Baconators and dropped a few pounds.)

He will improve his three point shooting. (Pardon me for being skeptical, but if it were all so simple to develop a three point shot that Dell Curry and Reggie Miller would envy, that Dwight Howard whose had six years to find a free throw, let alone a three point shot, would have success at it.I think I'd improve my three point shooting if nobody was guarding me.)

His handle will improve miraculously. (He will go from clumsy to Harlem Globetrotters good in three weeks - sure, now he's a ballhandler like Curley Neal instead of Jermaine O'Neal. Makes perfect sense.)

His vertical will be through the roof. (At this point, don't think weights, think steroids.)

[Hendrix]

I'de love to grab him up. He's by no means a sure thing, or a perfect pick. And he did stuggle when things got tougher. But he's 19, can still imp[rove a lot, and already shows a very good understanding of the game.

[The Notic]

good to see that he's been working on his body. this is a good sign. i said this around march that if he didn't seriously start taking care of his body, he was going to flake out and lose interest from a lot of teams. this is probably the first time in his life he's worked with on his diet/body and the showing lots of improvements so fast isn't that surprising, really.