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13 - James Harden

6-5, 222 Shooting Guard
Arizona St. Sophomore
Birthday
08/26/89 (34.6 yrs)
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA
High School
Artesia
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
8
Size
7
Defense
9
Strength
8
Quickness
7
Leadership
9
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
7
Potential
8
Passing
9
Intangibles
10

NBA comparison: Manu Ginobili/Brandon Roy

Strengths: Very smooth and crafty wing player … Used his sophomore season to add new dimensions to his game, and he proved to be a steady and consistent scoring threat … One of the most mature and NBA ready players of his class … He has great feel and understanding of the game, knows when he has to be a facilitator and when he has to take over the scoring load … As much as he brings in terms of scoring, his vision and playmaking ability may be his most impressive attributes … He makes great reads and is extremely unselfish … Has a developed body that is prepared to handle the rigors he will face in the league … In ISO situations he has a variety of deceptive and shifty moves that allow him to get by defenders … Out of the triple threat he is difficult to defend because his jab step is long and he sells his shot fake extremely well … Off the bounce he incorporates a nice crossover as well as in&out and behind the back dribbles to get into the lane … His jumper has shown great improvements, he has added range as well as consistency from the outside … His strength is a great asset because he is not afraid to use his body, either on drives or when playing with his back to the basket … Has good balance and body control when finishing around the basket … He has become a difficult matchup, because he looks to take advantage of mismatches, and enjoys playing with his back to the basket … Has a great feel for the ball, on the glass and in the passing lanes …

Weaknesses: Ended the season with two very poor performances in the NCAA Tournament, which has unfairly taken some luster off of a great season (he faced zone defenses on both occasions and it forced him to play out of his comfort zone)… Does not posses the great size that many have at his position … His leaping ability and quickness are only marginal, which forces him into tough and contested drives and makes it hard for him to get by people … Even though he has worked on his drives going right, he is still not nearly as comfortable and effective as he needs to be … Defenders have a much easier time cutting of his driving lanes when he does go right … His midrange game will need to become more polished, his ability to make shots off the dribble before the helpside D rotates will be key … He has become turnover prone at 3.4 per game, but this is mostly a result of being asked to do too much …

Borko Popic – 5/17/2009

 
Strengths: Crafty player with great vision and offensive skills … For a player entering college his skills are advanced. Smooth. Can shoot, handle and pass … Elevates his teammates with great vision and unselfish play … Clutch player. A leader, who has the ability to will his team to victory. Similar to Manu Ginobili, he is a tremendous team player who would rather win and score 10 than lose and score 40 … Very cerebral. Does an excellent job of breaking down opponents and taking what the defense gives him … Can stroke it from outside as well as get by his man and take it to the rim … Has worked extremely hard over the summer to gain strength and muscle mass …

Weaknesses: His body type is deceiving as it appears to be soft and uncut … Listed at 6-4, he’s likely close to 6-5 but still on the short side for a 2-guard … Can improve the consistency of his outside shooting … His quickness and athleticism, while good wont stand out on the next level … First step and his explosiveness aren’t at an elite level … A decent defender who doesn’t gamble much, but his lack of great foot speed limits his ability as a lock down guy … A terrific leader who can improve by becoming more vocal …

Notes: Considered the top guard prospect in his class from the West Coast. Helped lead Pump and Run Elite to win the 2006 Las Vegas adidas Super 6

Aran Smith – 9/21/2007

4 championship beating a DC Assault team consisting of Michael Beasley, Nolan Smith and Austin Freeman.

YouTube Clip – 2/13/2009

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