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NBA Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies Must Keep James Harden Out of the Paint To Stop Houston Rockets

By @The_Only_Grubes

Memphis Grizzlies Houston Rockets

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

The Memphis Grizzlies have gotten off to their best start in franchise history, going 9-1 to begin the season. Things may take a different turn Monday night, however, as the Grizzlies will face off against the Houston Rockets, who have also started the season 9-1.

An advantage for the Grizzlies is that the game is in Memphis, but the Rockets have been lighting teams up thanks to their dynamic star duo of Dwight Howard and James Harden. Both players have contributed to multiple areas on the floor, but luckily for the Grizzlies, the blueprint in stopping Houston may have been laid out for them.

The Rockets were held pretty much in check on Sunday as the Oklahoma City Thunder grinded out a game that could be considered one of the ugliest affairs the NBA has seen in a long time.

The biggest thing that the Thunder did to limit Houston’s impact on the game offensively was that they kept Harden out of the paint. Harden has been putting up fairly large scoring totals to start the season as he has consistently done in the past, and this is because he is excellent at drawing contact and getting to the free throw line.

Harden’s adept handle of the ball helps him to catch defenders off balance and get into the lane. Once there, he has easy lay-ups or floaters at the rim unless his man shuffles over quickly or a help defender moves over to contest Harden’s shot. Because of this, Harden has an easy time at forcing contact that he is not responsible for, where he can put his career 85.1 percent free throw shooting to use.

Harden has been averaging 10.5 free throw attempts per game on the season, so it is clear that the charity stripe is his most common way of getting points.

So if he is so good at taking advantage of those opportunities, how did the Thunder find a way to keep him out of the paint and make him a jump shooter? It was great man-to-man defense that made the difference.

The Thunder have a lot of defenders on their team who have long wingspans and who move their feet very well in one-on-one situations. Forward Lance Thomas checked Harden for most of the night, and his long limbs and defensive stance made all of the difference. Thomas is a bigger defender, so Harden had a tougher time getting around him or bullying him in the post.

Switching off screens, Jeremy Lamb, Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka were the ones primarily responsible for checking Harden off the bounce. All three players also have good size for their positions and are more than proficient at defending individually. Harden was not able to overcome his man for most of the night, and he was forced to try and beat the defense with his outside scoring rather than with his free throw shooting or playmaking.

Point guard Patrick Beverly is mainly in the starting lineup for his defense, and is not that great of a playmaker, so Harden was already at a disadvantage having to create for himself and couldn’t rely on being set up for many spot-up opportunities.

In the end, Harden shot 5-of-17 from the floor in the game, and he is only shooting 38.3 percent on the season from the field as well. Harden can make shots from the perimeter, but he is not one who likes to make a living from the outside. Limiting Harden to these shots and taking away his efficiency took Houston out of the game and made it a really close affair. Unfortunately, the Thunder did not have a player who could finish the job and close the game out.

The Grizzlies have a veteran core capable of finishing a game, and they also have the individual defenders who can limit Harden in the same way. The Rockets live and die by Harden’s offense, so if Tony Allen and Mike Conley are able to limit him the same way that the Thunder did, it’s going to be a long night for Houston once again, and Memphis will get their 10th win of the season.

Nathan Grubel is an NBA writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @The_Only_Grubes, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

 

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