Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright has said some stupid things in the past. Now that he pretty much has his own show, things have gotten more out of hand as of recent. However, what he said this morning on First Things First may have taken the cake. In a segment talking about James Harden’s season so far, Wright, in all his genius, used the word underrated to describe Harden. What?
What is Underrated?
By definition, for something to be underrated is to not have its full potential or value realized. Harden is not undervalued in the NBA. He has an MVP for goodness sake. I do not care much for Harden’s game, yet I am still able to recognize his scoring ability. An underrated player in the NBA would be someone like Mike Conley, Robert Covington or Josh Richardson. Guys whose names don’t attract much attention but still deserve respect.
What Exactly Did Nick Say?
Let’s dissect a bit of what Nick Wright just said. It’s true to say that Harden has been on a scoring tear this season. That’s not what’s in question. I agree that not everyone can take the number of shots Harden does. But to say that he’s doing it efficiently? I’m not convinced. Harden is shooting the worst of his career from three (34%) on 14 attempts per game. He may lead the NBA in points, but do you know what else Harden leads in? Turnovers, averaging five and a half per game. He also throws up over 25 shots per game. His style can sometimes just be ugly to watch.
Harden gets to the free throw line more than anyone else in the league (14.5 attempts a game). Sometimes they are legitimate fouls, sometimes they are 50/50 that Harden gets because he’ll cry otherwise, or they go like this.
One of my favorite shows growing up was Avatar: The Last Airbender. Honestly, it’s a great show. If Harden was in it, he’d be the master of bending a new element: the rules. It’s something I’ve never cared much for about Harden. His new sep-back really tows the line between a step-back and a travel.
Back on Track
Maybe I got a little off track there, but I say all of that to say this. Nick Wright, James Harden is not underrated. I know that you have a hard on for Harden, but he’s not the best player in the league and not the most efficient shooter either. Stop defending him. He very well may win another MVP if he can keep up his scoring and if the Houston Rockets keep winning. Nick, it’s still impressive to see someone score 40 or 50 points in a game, it just becomes less impressive when that same person goes 16/41 from the field.
Debating whether or not Harden is gonna be the MVP or is currently the best player in the league is another topic for another debate. Nick just needs to realize that we do not undervalue Harden or that we are getting used to his greatness. We that don’t care for Harden simply just don’t like him.
