Is James Harden Better Than Mike?

For some the sheer thought of the comparison seems ridiculous.  Not so for General manage Daryl Morey who recently came out and said Harden is the best offensive player in NBA league history.  He went so far as to say that Harden is even better than Michael Jordan leaving some people to jump immediately to the numbers game.  It certainly has caused a tizzy on Social Media.

Regardless of your opinion, Harden truly does have an already impressive career.  And, his numbers don’t seem to be dwindling.  Part of what makes him great is his stepback three-pointer, which is nearly impossible to guard.  It seems, however, that Harden has been working on another patented shot which he showed off in a recent pickup game. 

Instagram footage of the game was posted recently, see below, and the post has garnished a decent amount of attention causing a spike the online world of sports betting.  Many places are offering incentives to fans, like this Fanduel Promo Code, encouraging them to get in on the action.  The shot itself entails him turning, side-stepping and then fading away on one foot, then attempting a jumper.

The shot is impressive as it essentially buys Harden the space he needs, no matter the defensive assignment, to get off his shot.  And yeah… good luck guarding that.

 

Quentin Questioned by Kareem

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has always been one to speak his mind if he has an opinion, so this shouldn’t be all that shocking.

Recently the legend took issue with how Quentin Tarantino portrayed Bruce Lee in his most recent film, “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in The Hollywood Reporter:

That’s why filmmakers have a responsibility when playing with people’s perceptions of admired historic people to maintain a basic truth about the content of their character. Quentin Tarantino’s portrayal of Bruce Lee in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood does not live up to this standard. Of course, Tarantino has the artistic right to portray Bruce any way he wants. But to do so in such a sloppy and somewhat racist way is a failure both as an artist and as a human being.

Strong words from a strong man, for sure.

 

Booker is Blowing Up

The offseason isn’t time to play which is why Devin Booker and Ben Simmons recently squared off in a pickup game.  Booker seemed to get the better of the Simmons in the pickup game, blowing by him with some sick moves not once, but twice, as you can see in the video below.

This could be the year Booker takes that next step.

 

Carmelo Kicked to the Curb?

It’s not a joke, Carmelo Anthony has yet to be signed and the longer this situation drags out, the less likely it is that he’ll be back in the NBA.  If an NBA team was looking to sign him, they’d be wise to do so before training camp, to bring him in and see what he can do.

Right now, though, his list of suitors isn’t all that long.  Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas recently came out and said he believes the Lakers are the best fit, and he explained why, in an interview with Landon Buford. Here’s what Arenas had to say:

Go to the Lakers where you might come off the bench, but you are going to be the first option in the fourth quarter because that is what they are going to need from Melo. They need a 6’9 guy that can open up the floor, play your iso basketball, and that helps the rest of the Lakers. LeBron passes to everyone else, and you play iso basketball it all works. He goes to Houston and after ten games he is gone. Melo needs to be in a position where the last five minutes of the game he is the go-to guy. If you are not the go-to guy what are you on the court for because don’t have any other skill to be used. You are a fourth-quarter last five-minute iso guy that is your skill.

Not sure about Melo being the “go-to guy” anywhere, but we do agree the Lakers are a great fit, and we hope to see Melo back in the league, at least for one more season.

For more NBA happenings check out one of our recent articles – Report: Stephen A. Smith Part of ESPN’s NBA Moves

 

Rookie Hot Takes

It’s NBA tradition for rookies to fill out a survey, chock full of projections, predictions and award guesses for the league’s first-timers. Quite often these surveys entails at least one or two ridiculous predictions, and this year was no exception.

The rookies voted that newly signed Hawks player Cam Reddish will go on to have the most success in the NBA, with 19% of them voting for the young guard.

But, we’re not buying it.  The Hawks aren’t building their roster around Reddish — unlike the Pelicans and Knicks are doing with Barrett and Williamson — he’s just a piece of the plan.  While Reddish is primed to have an impressive season fans of the sport should keep their eyes open for a few other breakout players.  It should be an interesting NBA year, to say the least.