It has long been said that rapid deceleration is one of the elite physical traits of Houston Rockets star James Harden, and sports scientist Dr. Rajpal Brar breaks down how the former NBA MVP uses it in a new video.
“Harden’s ability to rapidly decelerate and put on the brakes, ‘start-stop,’ is a key part of what makes him one of the toughest covers in history,” Brar says. “The video breaks down the core biomechanical and sports science components that unlock his incredible deceleration ability.”
With an average of 34.4 points per game in 2019-20, Harden is currently leading the NBA in scoring for a third consecutive season. In his analysis, Brar uses game footage to explain just how the eight-time All-Star utilizes his unique physical traits against a variety of NBA defenders.
Harden’s base of support is typically shoulder width or wider which gives him a very balanced and stable platform to begin and end his movements quickly. Balance is the body’s GPS system, so the more accurate it is, the cleaner and more efficient the movement.
James maintains a low center of gravity, or mass, throughout his movements. This further facilitates his balance, coordination, and weight shift ability.
Harden’s movements from his dribble to shoulders to trunk to hips and legs are intricately coordinated and in-sync. This allow him to shift weight very quickly and makes his start-stop transitions extremely efficient.
From there, Brar dives into several Harden highlights to break down exactly how he uses those movements to neutralize defenders.
One of those breakdowns is of what could be Harden’s most popular career move — the ankle-breaking stepback put on the Clippers’ Wesley Johnson at Staples Center in February 2018. Here’s how Brar sees it:
The last piece to Harden’s deceleration is how he understands leverage. Here he drives left and then leverages his right shoulder and forearm with the defender Wesley Johnson’s body as a means to stop his own momentum.
On initial glance, this looks like a push-off, but notice how Harden’s arm never extends. Rather, he’s brilliantly utilizing contact as an external counterforce and brake to pair with his own very powerful combination of brakes — coordination, quick weight shift, neuromuscular control, and strength — to decelerate rapidly.
The combination turns Wesley Johnson into a newborn giraffe, and the rest is history.
On This Date: One year ago today, James Harden FLOORED Wesley Johnson 😱 pic.twitter.com/MqgAu6pJ2Y
— ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2019
The slow-motion version of Harden’s stepback on Johnson is available in the complete YouTube video, along with Brar’s expert explanation of what’s happening at each point in the move.
The full video also includes Brar’s extended analysis of several other patented Harden moves and the distinct body movements utilized by “The Beard” to make each of them happen.
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