While speaking to reporters ahead of this season's Rising Stars Game, Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was asked which trait he would like to steal from a current All-Star. As part of his reply, Clarke noted that he would like to have Houston Rockets guard James Harden's shooting prowess.
“Probably Harden’s shooting,” Clarke said, via Shane Young of Forbes Sports. “I would say Steph (Curry), but he’s not here this year.”
The fact that Clarke holds the Rockets star's accuracy at range in high regard should come as no surprise, as he's recognized as one of the best shooters in NBA history. Hand in his face, falling out of bounds, hesitation step-back… it doesn't matter. Harden can knock it down. For this reason, aspiring young players from around the globe often mimic his flashy style of play.
Harden is on an absolute tear this season. He's played in 51 games thus far, racking up averages of 35.3 points on 43.7 percent shooting from the field (35.8 percent from beyond the arc), 7.3 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block in 37.1 minutes per outing. And for the record, his 35.3 points per game are leading the league by a wide margin. Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently in second place with 30.0 points per game.
Clarke, who's currently averaging 12.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, says he's excited for the opportunity to represent the Grizzlies during this season's All-Star festivities:
“I'm just really grateful to be able to rep our team,” Clarke said, via SI.
The 2020 NBA Rising Stars Game will be held inside the United Center on Friday, February 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET. TNT will have live broadcast coverage. For a full schedule of this year's events, fans can head over to this link from NBA.com.