Harden Bringing A Lot

How far can James Harden take ASU in the tourney?

Stats
Height: 6'4", 212 lbs
Points: 19.7
Boards: 6.5
Dimes: 3.9
Shooting: 50% FG 33% 3-PT 75% FT
Steals: 2.3

Looks pretty impressive. They should, because those are Dwayne Wade's numbers in his 2 years in Marquette. Now lets take a look at James Harden's career averages with Dwayne Wade's numbers in (parentheses).

Height: Listed as 6'5" but Charles Barkley was listed at 6'7". (6'4")
Weight: 218 (212)
Points: 19.5 (19.7)
Boards: 5.3 (6.5)
Dimes: 3.5 (3.9)
Shooting: 52% (50) FG 39% (33) 3-PT 76% (75) FT

They were also viewed similarly in college. They said that Wade couldn't play the 2 because he was too small and the 1 because he wasn't fast enough. I think teams can see Harden playing in a Dwayne Wade style offense and could be an excellent compliment to a dominant low post scorer (see: Minnesota/Al Jeff's ACL). He doesn't need to shoot the ball every time but with the ball in his hands he is smart enough and athletic enough to drive or kick out and is killer in the clutch. He takes high percentage shots and could eventually hit 20-25 PPG in the NBA if given 15-18 shots a game. He takes a lot of contact but knows how to fall (see: Hill, Grant) and goes to the line often in games. It wouldn't hurt him to improve his FT%. He is a quiet leader but his teammates trust his abilities to make the crucial shot.

D-Wade's rookie stat line: 34.9 MPG, 47% FG, 30% 3-PT, 75% FT, 4.0 REB, 4.5 AST, 16.2 PTS.
These are numbers I could definitely see from Harden as a rookie. The key will be playing time. If he ends up a top 5 pick as he is currently projected, he will likely go somewhere where he will be needed to score.

Harden played well today in front of NBA scouts and GMs. An additional 50 seats were bought by teams in town for the all-star break to watch ASU-UCLA square off, but especially to get a firsthand look at Harden, Pendergraph, and Collison (maybe Ty Abbott and Josh Shipp). How does Harden respond? A thrilling sweep of UCLA, the Pac-10's first since 2005, while dishing out a career-high 11 assists (also Dwayne Wade's career high at Marquette). The kid can simply score, not to mention he is an underrated defender and could guard most 1's and smaller 2's in the NBA.

I think all of the above, combined with the Hyphy beard (see: Davis, Baron) James Harden is a legitimate top-5 pick. He can score on his man in one-on-one situations whether off the dribble or in the post, he can drain the 3, he nails the clutch shots, and he has a Hyphy beard, end of discussion.

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Playlist: TV on the Radio; Return to Cookie Mountain/Dear Science