Baseline to Baseline: November 5th
- James Harden cannot be contained.
Harden is a marvel to watch when he has things humming on all cylinders. Every dribble has a rhythm designed to manipulate the defense to his liking — one false step inward from the help defender will typically equate to a lob, and the slimmest of leans away from the corner tends to lead to a dart to an open shooter. And when you have all passing lanes contained, he will slide by even the best defenders for a lay in or a patented trip to the charity stripe. But when he starts making contested threes off the dribble? You’re in for a long night …
Utah poses one of the league’s best defensive offerings. It didn’t matter. Harden scorched his way to 54 points on 18/21 shooting (7/7 from three) with 13 assists … Through three quarters. Do we want CP3 to come back? Are we sure?
2. Nikola Vucevic, dancing in the post.
Vucevic has been the pseudo lead-dog on the pleasantly surprising Magic, and he is one of the few true artists that we have left in the post. His game has stretched out to the three-point line to air out Orlando’s previously mucked up spacing, but every now and then he will uncork a few tributes to big men of a simpler time:
Al Horford is no slouch, making this display all the more impressive. There is no panic in his play, Vucevic works his feet in a tango that looks both out of whack and magnificent all at the same time. He can shoot off either shoulder with equal effectiveness, and still has a buttery stroke to rain down on you if you allot him enough space to fire.
A name that has been on the trading block for what seems like half a decade, Orlando was wise to sit on Vucevic as the rest of the roster caught up to his talent level. There are signs that the Magic are going to regress — they are shooting around the mid 40s from deep — but I hope they have enough juice to sustain a chase for one of the final three playoff spots in the East.
3. Bully Bradley Beal!
Without John Wall and taking on a long-time conference foe in the Raptors, I was interested to see how the Wizards (specifically Beal and Otto Porter) would fair. Beal was as advertised, pouring in 38 points on 16 of 26 shooting and generally placing his fingerprints all over the game.
One of my favorite parts of his development has been the gumption he has when he gallops towards the rim. Long regarded as one of the league’s best marksmen, Beal is shooting 57 percent on shots within ten feet of the rim, per NBA.com.
Washington is outscoring their opponents by 12 points when Beal is on the floor, and he is very much proving that he is worthy of the max contract dished out to him last summer. Health permitting, Beal should be an all-star this season.
4. Wayne Ellington pulls the reversal on Patrick Beverley.
Ellington has been great as a member of the Heat, and Miami’s coaching staff has done a swell job empowering him to chuck with all of his might. Chasing around that guy is a chore, and weaving through picks set by the gargantuan Hasaan Whiteside only enhances that burden. Beverely is one of the league’s stickiest defenders, so it is an impressive feat to rid yourself of his clamps.
The ol’ game of cat and house on the hardwood — what a treat.
5. The Portland wheel.
The Blazers have been running this play for years now, and it still somehow catches teams off guard. C.J. McCollum scurries around the perimeter, aided by two picks from Jusuf “the grizzly bear” Nurkic and Noah Vonleh. He sprints to daylight after the pick from Vonleh and finds himself wide open for a bunny jumper as a result.
My favorite part of the set is the filling of the other corner by Moe Harkless, dragging Paul George out of the play along with him. The easy antidote to this action would have been a more hearty effort from Carmelo Anthony — he could have left Vonleh (a non-threat), chased McCollum out of an open shot, and allowed Andre Roberson to recover his way back into the play.
Granted, it was early in the game and it’s the beginning of November — I get that Melo isn’t going to go balls to the wall on defense. However, you would think that opponents would have this action scouted by now though.
Fun connection: the Phoenix Suns run plenty of the same action with Devin Booker under Jay Triano, a former assistant under Terry Stotts in Portland.
