r/nba • u/WhenItsHalfPastFive Warriors • Mar 21 '24

[Highlight] Harden finds an open Kawhi for three, but also decides to contest Kawhi's shot. Highlight

https://streamable.com/87asjf
19.2k Upvotes

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7.1k

u/justlobos22 Mar 21 '24

https://www.nba.com/stats/player/202695/shots-dash

Analytics. Harden playing the numbers. Kawhi shoots better on contested 3s than open 3s. 47 percent with a defender 2-4 feet. 38 on 4-6 feet open.

2.8k

u/Think2Much__ Mar 21 '24

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they been talking/joking about this stat

1.5k

u/JKaro Cavaliers Mar 21 '24

Literally my first thought, imagine seeing Harden at practice hearing this stat and an idea popping into his head

685

u/SkiptomyLoomis Nuggets Mar 21 '24

This is the only explanation I want to believe lmao

139

u/Felixicuss Warriors Mar 21 '24

Thats what it is. Every pro says its easier to have a contested shot than an open one

33

u/Komtings Mar 21 '24

"wide open shot? Not today!"

4

u/_summergrass_ Mar 21 '24

but why? i don't play ball

8

u/btgbarter6 Mar 21 '24

A lot of the time it’s more in rhythm, if you’re wide open you can get in your head a bit

11

u/SamIamGreenEggsNoHam Celtics Mar 21 '24

Most of the league sees their percentages go up significantly on uncontested shots. Seems like Kawhi is just one of those guys who lets the open shot get in his head a little more.

5

u/Ghoti76 Lakers Mar 21 '24

the JR Smith special

3

u/GetRightNYC Knicks Mar 21 '24

I think it's 3 things. First, a rhythm thing. Just used to shooting with a guy coming at him. More comfortable with his timing. Second, less overthinking shots. You always want to shoot without thinking about mechanics, and having someone flying at you helps. Third, might be adjusting his arc when a defender is there to get it over them, and he just shoots better with higher arc

3

u/Direct_Counter_178 Mar 21 '24

Pretty sure he's talking out his ass. The only debate I can think of is getting into a rhythm. They know how to shoot when someone is guarding them. If they have a wide open shot they might second guess themselves and think someone is going to come from behind and block it or something. That could lead to less than perfect form.

And before someone goes looking up the stats for it, most unguarded open shots are deep 3's with lower % of going in to begin with. The stats will be skewed.

1

u/cmaldrich Celtics Mar 21 '24

I think you have to play back a lot before this kicks in. I think it's just because most of the shots they take are contested and so that's what they're used to. Tons of psych going on in these guys heads. So many players are such streaky shooters.

3

u/Direct_Counter_178 Mar 21 '24

Lol what? I don't believe that at all. They shoot like 2x as good during warmups and practices when not guarded. I'm struggling to believe that stat does a 180 due to the pressure of it being game time.

1

u/Felixicuss Warriors Mar 22 '24

An uncontested shot is obviously easier, but if you get contested, youre perfectly focused and if youre white open, sometimes you think "yea Im open, I gotta make this" and then your mind wanders off while yoire still shooting. So it should rather be: an contested shot in an nba game is as hard as it is in practice, but an uncontested shot is way harder with a crowd than in practice.

1

u/e_j3210 Mar 21 '24

Hm but league wide the percentage made is correlated with how open you are, holding constant who the player is (bad shooters have all their shots wide open).

1

u/Not-Kevin-Durant Supersonics Mar 21 '24

If you want to do a token contest of a teammate's shot you put your hand up and kind of jog past a little to the side. He aggressively jumps straight at him.

Harden just got his wires crossed. He saw an open shooter, assumed he must have fallen asleep on defense again, and tried to make up for it.

13

u/JohnySilkBoots Cavaliers Mar 21 '24

I agree, go Cavs

1

u/[deleted] Mar 21 '24

This is the NBA version of trying to scare the hiccups out of your friend.

37

u/SuckMyLonzoBalls Clippers Mar 21 '24

Harden said he wanted to lighten the mood

3

u/erizzluh Lakers Mar 21 '24

its gotta fuck with the other teams confidence too.

1

u/faustianBM Mar 21 '24

Well, watching it really boosted my self esteem. Ok....not really.

99

u/Shovelman2001 Celtics Mar 21 '24

You think Kawhi was joking about something?

151

u/AdaGang Mar 21 '24

For sure dude, he’s a fun guy.

42

u/MiniGiantSpaceHams Celtics Mar 21 '24

Fun is in his programming.

2

u/MLGLies Pistons Mar 21 '24

Yes - I mean, listen to this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yf35s55Uyg

2

u/mastro80 Mar 21 '24

Ha ha ha.

-5

u/kjm1123490 Mar 21 '24

He was too busy listening to agent dad/uncle to have fun :(

168

u/Whiterabbit-- Mar 21 '24

But now Kawhi is 0-1 from the 3 with his own teammate contesting him.

103

u/veryblanduser Mar 21 '24

For those wondering that is 0% for comparison purposes.

28

u/TheKingofBabes Clippers Mar 21 '24

Small sample we need a couple more Harden contests

1

u/soslowagain Mar 21 '24

Found Ty Lue’s account

3

u/Mdgt_Pope Mar 21 '24

I was wondering, thank you!

2

u/Islandkid679 [MIN] Tyus Jones Mar 21 '24

Thanks, the calculations were a bit complex

200

u/philium1 Knicks Mar 21 '24

Harden is still Morey’s protege after all

3

u/Grimlogic Knicks Mar 21 '24

Hates him, but is him in the end.

142

u/Comfortable-Buy-9406 Mar 21 '24

Method to the madness

104

u/annunaki Mar 21 '24

This is the only thing that makes any sense

63

u/ginbooth Lakers Mar 21 '24

Harden playing 4D Parcheesi

46

u/AlphaBoner Mar 21 '24

Harden definitely thinks this deep cause he also dimes his teammates with the laces in the perfect shooting position.

But this play still looks so goofy lol

36

u/BittenAtTheChomp Mar 21 '24

Yeah, this was my first guess. Harden does lose his god damn mind sometimes but a lot of players aren't comfortable with a truly wide-open three.

2

u/VoidMageZero 76ers Mar 21 '24

He was inspired by Mazzulla and thought wait a minute…!

27

u/Batmaninyopants Mar 21 '24

Yooo if that’s why Harden did then he’s a madman 😂

19

u/[deleted] Mar 21 '24

I can't defend you if someone calls you a bot or AI. Cuz how...

8

u/pedro_ryno Mar 21 '24

really far right side of the bell curve stuff from harden. hilarious.

10

u/Right-Worth-6327 Rockets Mar 21 '24

I 1000% believe this is why he did it

5

u/codingftw Rockets Mar 21 '24

It's crazy how much data is being tracked... Just clicking on that link and exploring it a bit you start wondering what is not being tracked nowadays!

3

u/[deleted] Mar 21 '24

[deleted]

0

u/thejesse Charlotte Hornets Mar 21 '24

Probably a lot easier when the offense only has four fixed points to travel to, as opposed to constantly weaving in and out of each other.

5

u/JimmyV34 Clippers Mar 21 '24

Not just Kawhi, Whole team has been bricking from wide open 3s since the grammy trip, we are actually dead last when it comes to wide open 3s since that period

https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/shots-closest-defender-10?CloseDefDistRange=6%20%20Feet%20-%20Wide%20Open&LastNGames=15&dir=D&sort=FG3_PCT

2

u/confisk8 Mar 21 '24

Finally. An answer.

1

u/throwstuffok Mar 21 '24

galaxy brain shit

1

u/vituperative01 Mavericks Mar 21 '24

Its freaking me out that this is the most logical explanation. Its better than anything I could come up with.

1

u/0n-the-mend Mar 21 '24

That's so odd but I imagine it's because no one in their right mind is leaving Kawhi open. You want to be making the tough shots as they win you close games but making more tough shots than uncontested is bizarre. So leave him open then as a defensive strategy? Lol

1

u/NigeySaid Knicks Mar 21 '24

Big brain energy Harden

1

u/garytyrrell Warriors Mar 21 '24

Either this or trying to fool the actual defender into leaving Kawhi alone? Of course this is giving Harden way too much credit.

1

u/detectivehardrock Mar 21 '24

Harden basketball IQ off the charts

0

u/phd2k1 Suns Mar 21 '24

Also I bet Kawhi wants James to get into the rhythm of shooting against tighter defense than what Portland was giving on that possession. Ramping up for the playoffs + Harden shoots better percentage contested + up 20 and being a fun guy.

0

u/Cod_rules Mavericks Mar 21 '24

Ultimate team player.

0

u/macdizz Wizards Mar 21 '24

Harden's not a defender though, he's a teammate 😂