Golden State Warriors superstar small forward Kevin Durant says Houston Rockets star James Harden's game is not defined by free throws.
Durant, who played with Harden on the Oklahoma City Thunder, says Harden “can do everything” on offense.
“(Free throws) aren’t his whole game,” Durant said of Harden, via Salman Ali of Rockets Wire. “He can do everything. If you’re not focused, he can drive past you, hit you with the shoulder because he’s strong, and finish with either hand. He can shoot floaters now.
“Obviously, the step back three-pointer is one of his staples, but I never believed he was just a free throw guy. He can score in a variety of ways. So we have to be locked in from the beginning. You can’t fully stop a guy like that. You just have to be ready to play him tough all game.”
Harden led the league in scoring again during the regular season. The Beard averaged 36.1 points per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from beyond the arc and 87.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Harden averaged 11.0 free attempts per game, took 858 and made 754. He led the league in all three categories.
The Warriors and Rockets will meet in the second round of the playoffs. It's a rematch of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, a series the Warriors won in seven games.
Harden put up 33.3 points against the Warriors this season in three games. For Golden State to defeat Houston, they are going to have to throw multiple bodies at Harden and get the ball out of his hands quickly.
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