James Harden's usage rate amazes Tracy McGrady and Scottie Pippen | The Jump

Okay, this has to be a science experiment at this point, but like when they put astronauts through an endurance test to see how much they can take, it takes Chris Paul away from James Harden, it takes Eric Gordon away, now it takes Clint Capela and see if that affects him. very soon they will just take away real basketball from us and yet somehow he will toughen up, he will still be the leading scorer in the game last night, things were almost so threadbare that the Rockets took the court with only nine healthy bodies, including the call-up from the Ag League and a wheel replacement. for cappella, who they just found out, will miss four to six weeks with a thumb injury, meanwhile, coach Mike D'Antoni's words were tired after playing 43 minutes the night before and yet, despite of that, even though everyone in the state of Texas knew he would be the one who would have to carry the load even though the Grizzlies paired him with Harden many times.

In the first half alone he racked up 36 points, while the rest of the Rockets collectively contributed 18 by the time he finished the game. Harden would have 67 points, while Memphis has five full starters combined for 53, in case you're keeping score, 57 points is a season high for Harden, which says something about the season he's having or, to put it this way, otherwise, in the last 48 hours. Steph Curry and Anthony Davis have lost 48 and 46 respectively and Harden still managed to increase his lead over both of them for this year's scoring title. Remember back in 2003 when a Mr. Mac and Kobe were putting up numbers in video games outdoing each other night after night during that season.

Kobe achieved a streak of 16 consecutive games in which he scored 30 points or more. Tracey here on a 14-game streak like that. He has surpassed both marks, now scoring at least 30 in 17 games and counting, so how much longer can he keep it up? Harden is so superhuman at creating his own shot that it certainly feels like he can keep shooting no matter how many of his teammates go down yet, one has to wonder: Harden is averaging over 37 minutes of playing time in the entire NBA and that's minutes difficult ones, all those fouls he accumulates when creating contact, it's a lot of contact night after night, all the dribbles he does. that puts stress on defenses that also puts stress on Harden and we've seen it in the past when Harden really puts in the work in the regular season the bill has to be paid in the postseason it's better at the beginning of the playoff series than at the end of the playoffs. them, which is not the direction you want for that kind of thing, of course, Harden knows it, so Tony knows it, Jim daryl morey knows it, but until Maury can get help through the trade or until some of the Injured Houston players return, this is the situation where they are trapped in the science experiment continues and at least so far Harden is putting up with it all.

Tracy, you are one of the few humans on the planet who has ever had a career this close to this. It's you, Kobe Harden Wilt and Elgin Baylor. that's it, so you're the person to ask if Harden carries a load like this sustainable not only during the season but until the playoffs, well since you had the playoffs, no, I don't think this is sustainable, I think about it with the heart and us. I've seen it in the regular season, where he can put up incredible numbers and make stretches like this. He's one of those guys that loves to play basketball, so he could go up there and hold on.

These types of numbers, it's crazy to see him doing what he's doing. I mean, if you guys don't understand what it takes to go out and shoot the ball 30 times, this is the regular season, he could do it in this regular season when they went through this. streak we had one of these streaks Were you tired? No, because he's doing a great job controlling the pace of him on the defensive end. These guys aren't running through screens. Are they making a change? So he's really into me. His energy is fading. On the offensive side, defensively, these guys are just changing everything in the playoffs, that's when the intensity increases and you have to be focused every possession and everywhere.

Now you can't do this in the playoffs. I mean, I think he can hold up. this for him as an individual and I think that's where the game has turned today: there are more individual players. You're seeing guys do things from an individual point of view. You take Russell Westbrook, the last two years with a triple-double James Hardy dominating the ball. on the offensive side he brings the ball up the court shooting the ball mehgan is on top of the pass for the guy to shoot so yeah he can hold this the way he plays in my dad promises me there are more ISOs today than in your time Oh people say all the time no, you can say that and you played well with Michael Jordan.

Michael never brought the ball up the court in my time and if he did, he was wet, we shared it. James Hart brings the ball up every time he goes down the court. and he makes the play that leads to the shot, so he gets something out of every possession, whether it's a shot or not, this

usage

is higher than any other I've seen, second highest compared to Russell Westbrook when he had the vice president season this. he's incredible, I mean, he brings the ball here he starts the offense, he does everything he can for these guys and I think it's time for us to rewrite the record books in terms of the new NBA, it's a different game, every great player that has passed through this league. and put the number, you're going to do it because of the way the game has changed defensively, the rules, their

usage

rate

, shooting all these threes, it's a completely different game, Rachel, well, we had a rhythm and a rhythm different game and kind of like the old era in the 60's and then. a very different pace and style of play, let me help people put into perspective what James is doing than what MJ did.

James Harden is probably averaging around 13 three-pointers on a night when MJ is in the prime of his best three-point shooting year on average. only three, that's right, three, three, right, I mean, they're both. Archer is not even serious with him, he actually takes accuracy from him, of course, differently.