The NBA’s new philosophy on calling fouls has been nicknamed the “Harden Rules,” and Nets guard James Harden is having a difficult time adapting to it, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Harden attempted just three free throws in Monday’s loss to the Bulls and was noticeably demonstrative after several non-calls.
Harden’s production has fallen dramatically during the season’s first 11 games as he’s averaging just 18.3 points per night after more than a decade of being among the league’s scoring leaders. Part of the drop has been at the foul line, where he’s taking just 4.6 free throws per game, down from 7.3 last season.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Harden told reporters after the game. “No, I don’t want to talk about it. I never got … it didn’t take me out of my game. I felt like I played well to the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, none of us played well. It definitely didn’t take me out of my game.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype talked to several NBA executives about Kyrie Irving‘s trade value and found a widespread reluctance to deal for the enigmatic point guard. “For the most part, every front office and coaching staff is scared to death of him and doesn’t want to touch him,” an unidentified executive said. “Honestly, it might’ve been four teams before this (his refusal to get vaccinated). He’s a guy that front offices don’t trust. Coaches don’t want to deal with him. Players like him.” Another speculated that the Sixers might be willing to take him in exchange for Ben Simmons, but there’s overall pessimism that Irving will be dealt.
- LaMarcus Aldridge, who has revived his career after the medical scare that forced him to briefly retire last spring, talked to Sopan Deb of The New York Times about the difficulty of almost seeing his career end so abruptly. “The first day didn’t feel real. The first day felt like I had an off day,” Aldridge said. “And then your second day, you feel like it’s a game day, so you’re just at home. And after like a week or two, you’re like: “Man, I’m not at the gym. I’m not with the fellas. I’m not traveling, not playing.” Like two weeks in, I was like: “Man, this is what it is. I have to find my new interest, shift my focus to something else.” That’s when it hit me, like, “Man, what’s next?”
- The Nets are known for their stars, but a few players have created a Blue Collar Boys club that is dedicated to doing the dirty work, per Tom Dowd of NBA.com. Blake Griffin and Joe Harris started the club last season and have inducted other players as they prove themselves worthy.
With all of the controversy surrounding both Irving and Simmons right now, the situation with John Wall being held out by the Rockets has been far smoother in comparison. Even with his team struggling at 1-9, things seem to be far more agreeable between him and the team than they are in Philly or Brooklyn.
Buddy, thats cause no one expects anything from your tank team, and John Wall hasn’t played meaningful basketball games in more than 2 years. No one even remembered about Wall in HOU till you just mentioned it
Lol what in the world does John Wall have to do with anything in this article? No one cares about John Wall lol his career only isn’t over because the rockets owe him 90 million this year and next
Both parties are happy with the current situation as well.
What’s wrong with these FO’s are they just chickens or what? SMH!
If you can’t deal with a dude, then maybe you in the wrong job, right?
#LetKyriePlay
#FreeBenSimmons
Maybe El Don should enlighten all of us with his simple solutions to the Nets and Sixers problems with their star players. Waiting with bated breath.
I think El Don must be under the age of 15 years old. I hope anyway.
Love seeing Harden get exposed for being nothing more than a flopper. Been saying for years this dude is soft and just hides behind the refs whistle.
When Harden was averaging 35 PPG a few years ago he was labelled by many as a ball-hog who needed to get his teammates more involved instead of only padding his stats like his former teammate in OKC does even more.
But now that he has become a pass-first PG in Brooklyn prioritizing the involvement of his teammates, it’s the new “Harden rule” that has exposed him as a fraud and according to some he’s “the most dishonest player in the NBA history” who should apparently be blacklisted. Haters gonna hate.
meanwhile u hide behind a keyboard! you’ll never be a top commenter!
James Harden was always the 6th man he was on the Thunder, he just got a free 10-20 points a game added to because of cheating, and it also totally bogged down the gameplay with free throws – all the games this season are so much higher quality and free-flowing now.
I hate James Harden, the most dishonest player in the NBA history. He ruined the league for 5 years are now we got our game back! Blacklist that bozo!
It also made it hard to defend him so he got more good looks, and garbage shots zeroed out as fouls.
Crybaby
James Harden is the most overrated player/superstar in sports history
wrong!!!!
First time I have read the words “Blake Griffin” and “blue collar” in the same paragraph.
I think their styles qualify, even if their incomes do not.