James Harden is one of the best players off the dribble in the NBA. In fact, he is the best one-on-one player, leading the league with 1,415 total isolation points last season, 1,099 more than the second best isolation scorer.
Harden isn’t necessarily extremely quick or explosive like his new back court teammate Russell Westbrook. What Harden lacks in outright speed, he makes up for with an effortless jump-shot, unstoppable step-back and elite ball-handling skills.
The Beard’s handle makes him nearly impossible to stay in front of, and sometimes, his defenders end up on their back side before they can even realize what happened.