Despite the impact and effect of injuries, lineup changes, or what critics say, former MVP James Harden has demonstrated that he can still be a wagon the LA Clippers can hover on for an entire season. This backs up why his resume is imposing, as very few 16-year veteran guards in NBA history can still score smoothly.
Harden loves to utilize the between-the-legs dribble to scale how to attack unique defensive coverages. Soon enough, the defender is rocked to sleep, and he flies to the cup or steps back to his iconic move that forever changed the game. If all else fails, the open man is found with an accurate pass for high-percentage baskets.
Furthermore, Harden has developed to the point where no matter where he is in isolation, a positive outcome is generated nearly every time. In detail, the result is usually either a bucket, assist, or foul drawn from the three-time scoring champion.
Conversely, Harden has had one weakness in his game this season, which is contributing to his lower efficiencies and how teams guard him. He typically has perfected this missing component, but it has been out of his arsenal for some odd reason.
James Harden's inefficient scoring is partially due to his sub-par mid-range shooting
Disregarding the statistics for the LA Clippers, year 16 has been among the most outstanding of James Harden's veteran career. It is mind-boggling how dominant he has been, given his age, absurdly high usage percentage, and number of games played. The 11-time all-star seems to be allergic to missing games, which contradicts the common mentality in the renovated style of basketball.
In 65 games, Harden has averaged 22.5 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.9 rebounds, shooting 39.8% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc. These numbers are produced in 35.0 minutes while being the team leader in usage(30.0).
However, where Harden's game has lost a step this season is through the midrange. In fact, between the ranges of 8-16 feet, he is shooting 37.9%. This compares much differently to the rest of his shot chart, in which he is relatively efficient.
In fact, Harden shoots 49.8% from less than eight feet, 50.0% between 16 and 24 feet, and 34.6% from 24+ feet.
If Harden can rediscover his midrange touch, opponents will endure additional inconveniences in containing his gravity. This ultimately helps his numbers, teammates, and win count for head coach Tyronn Lue.