Yet another choke from James Harden? | A lesson in winning bias

[@timothy6264]

This guy watches/observes basketball better than these analysts

[@JohnDaleCP]

Well, since most heard analysts are just TV personalities to get more views. The ESPN and TNT analysts are there just to entertain and/or be controversial. This channel is amazing tho, great to hear in-depth analyzation rather than just hot takes.

[@Natethegreat4]

JohnDaleCP well said

[@yaodihu3572]

I mean most 'analysts' on TV are there for entertainment/hot takes.

[@TizOnly1]

I mean... TV "analysts" are pretty much all generally horrible

[@themohas3243]

With the exception of inside the NBA on TNT, all other "analysts" are really just TV personalities only.

[@basketballgenesis8969]

These Analyses are great; unbias, detailed and very interesting.

[@usr2842]

nick wright is actually the best analyst on tv right now, he was the only one who was defending harden for failing to shoot in the 4th quarter

[@bigstupidgrin]

The LeBron defense video was especially good. I'm a Blazers fan so no dog in the fight per se.

[@welpyeet8307]

Bballbreakdown becoming bias I hope this channel won't turn become like that

[@thecarter8700]

I agree they are great! I definitely disagree they aren't biased.

[@MattHawkesPurdy]

Edward Villalobos LeBron is a better basketball player than Jordan. However, Jordan is the greater player.

[@Cobusftwmahoniez]

This is by far the best nba analysis channel

[@qubit966]

yeah it is

[@surefive2635]

Bballbreakdown?

[@ilkercolak6195]

Sounds like a pretty good example of winning bias

[@joselorenzodasig9987]

by any means basketball?

[@kristianryden193]

We need to get rid of espn and start a new sports channel with people like @thinking basketball.

[@MrRdsmasterful]

ESPN isn't about "thinking basketball" it's about creating a narrative. Casual fans like hearing a story not numbers or actual facts.

[@gunavengalasetti4602]

@@MrRdsmasterful I think that they could still be successful, if they tried to incorporate real analysts who understand the game on a deeper level. It would require a bit more work, but considering the reach they could have they could totally do it. Build narratives except based on facts, and not emotion. I've always enjoyed when they get Jalen rose to explain what he thinks is happening looking at short film bits. This way they can appeal to all crowds. Unfortunately, they take the easy route, and put out content that takes like 5 minutes to come up with. They literally don't even try, it's a complete waste of all of the genius minds they have available.

[@Istaygroovy]

Bruh your fuckin profile Pic

[@kristianryden193]

@@Istaygroovy are you talking to me?

[@bigwilly43729]

ESPN isn’t the problem, we are. They only give us what we ask for. The average Joe isn’t interested in this kind of analysis & has already made up their mind on what they saw. Think about their Matchup show. They put it on at some ridiculous hour where no one can really watch it. It’s only there because they get better ratings & response on other shows in a more desirable timeslot.

[@milto2269]

I love how u are getting to the controversial topics of these days because I know that u always have a very unique perspective of things and will always give the unbiased true opinion

[@jojoprocess2820]

Hes unbiased but facts cant always tell the whole story, no matter how "advanced" those stats are.

[@milto2269]

@@jojoprocess2820 and u are right he showed the tape and from the eye test we saw that Harden played the right way more often than not that quarter. Also if u know him, he always talks about how important to observe the game to apply context to the stats

[@kaiusm.8396]

Wow. No doubt more people need to see this perspective.

[@chl6587]

This is exactly what I wanted to tell everyone who blamed him for the game 5 loss. Thanks for clearing this more up

[@Jboooog18]

man you know it's easy to say otherwise. Use statements like "YOU GOTTA JUST GET DONE"

[@iiDetour]

i wouldnt say james harden was the reason they lost but he didnt take over. this is his legacy on the line and letting role players dictate a W or a L is whats going to separate me from calling him an all time great. a team without KD and you (harden) and your whole team drop the ball. being good for harden isnt good enough because the end result matters more because giving awards for good contribution is simply to make a loser feel better. KD left the game and gsw is short of their best player and houston could not take the W. not trying to sound like a hater but this is basically the finals and second place is basically last place in the history books.

[@mr.stepbro6422]

@@iiDetour Golden State is 25-1 without KD

[@nmarbletoe8210]

winning bias in action. if they lose, find a reason. meh. harden played great in the fourth! Dubs played greater.

[@iiDetour]

@@Jboooog18 yea but then saying that without reason. lebron needs to "gotta just get it done". well lebron is in no position to get anything done. harden with cp3 against no kd and i would say houston has a better team. yea you right they just gotta get it done in this situation. i dont care for a good game

[@MyNameIsNotCraig]

Another prime example showing us how sports media only observe what they see on the surface and make little effort to dive deeper or understand what's really happening in these games. Thank you Thinking Basketball, you have my respect.

[@jayallen11]

This is REAL basketball analysis. Thank you. So tired of seeing these ESPN BS “analysts talking about bullshit stats and narratives. You need that kind of platform ✊

[@sabahaddinzaim]

Thinking Basketball, BballBreakdown and Heat Check are my favourite basketball analyst channels. I love all of them because of their different/unique ways of analysing the same game without much of biased opinions.

[@bajaj607]

Sabahaddin Zaim and Coach Daniel too

[@sabahaddinzaim]

@@bajaj607 Yeah I forgot about him

[@fuckoffstupidyoutub1]

MDJ?

[@sabahaddinzaim]

@@fuckoffstupidyoutub1 I'm talking about specifically game analysis channel which MDJ isn't exactly a one but more than just analysis. Of course there's a lot of different great channels that also do some analysis sometimes and other multiple great stuff but I was looking at specifically great channels with more of game analysis as priority...

[@EA-ps4wc]

Coach Nick gets biased sometimes

[@risersin7957]

Just for the record, I am subscribed to 3 basketball channels. It took about 8 videos for each of those channels to get a sub from me. Your channel took 1 video (comparing stats between eras.) Also keep up the good work this was a blast.

[@supertupac7581]

Love your nuanced outlooks on basketball players! You always gives great insight and credit to all these players! Your videos are like the opposite of hot-takes!

[@eazymoneydbooker5957]

To make things short, Houston’s offense wasn’t the problem, their defense was.

[@JStem361]

By far the best basketball analysis channel on youtube. Nobody compares. Talking heads on TV don't know the analytics at all, let alone are able to relate the measures in a completely eloquent fashion. Keep it up!

[@angadunited]

Are your podcasts in Spotify? You're killing it! Amazing content. I watch every second and rewind multiple times to digest your content. Brilliant.

[@OfficialGrimmjow]

Can we get a Celtics/Kyrie video on what was wrong with them? Please and Thank you 🙏🏾

[@zerocal76]

Yes please! How much is Kyrie's ISO play really affecting them?

[@Crnicelad]

@@zerocal76 It might not be his offense. I thought the Bucks really swarmed him at times and he still tried to push through but I think that his lack of effort on transition defense and at times calling unreasonable switches - him picking Giannis or Lopez in transition for no reason, really hurt them. Check out the KZbinr - Heat Check, he explained it nicely.

[@zerocal76]

@@Crnicelad Hey man, great comment. I love that I can talk in-depth bball w/ ppl online bc most of my friends aren't big fan. Thanks for the info on Heat Check, just found the video! What team do u like?

[@Crnicelad]

@@zerocal76 I am from Slovenia so it's basically mandatory to root for either Dončić or Dragić :D, I'd say Mavs if you held a gun to my head. Honestly though, I root for the underdogs each and every game, but appreciate good basketball even if the odds are stacked in the teams favour. This video best explains it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imTcaJaNotR1eas

[@Momo_Nana]

Patiently waiting on the KAT video

[@gullintanni]

Why? Do you hate KAT? He's probably the worst defensive communicator I've seen, and Thinking Basketball will destroy him defensively.

[@rjpele]

@@@gullintanni the real question is; do YOU hate KAT?

[@andrewnunn681]

@@rjpele I do :)

[@Momo_Nana]

@@gullintanni no I love KAT and I see a lot of potential to be the best big man in the league.

[@noobestofdamall]

@@gullintanni Oh please, he's not even the worst defender on his team.

[@TheNamesDitto]

Great video! I wish fans would actually learn to understand the game when they make their claims. When I get a job, I'll be sure to support this channel!

[@notsocooldude7720]

This video deserves so much more attention than it received

[@browmaster2197]

Iggy was incredible against Harden defensively, denying him whenever he didn’t have the ball and putting max pressure on him when he had the ball. Also when Harden drove, the Warriors double the paint and Harden would need to make a tough pass due to the Warriors speed.

[@zoominnboomin]

I agree with why Paul was so mad. The offense should be run by him and Harden should play sg and run around a bit more to get open

[@SharpStudios0]

you gonna talk about how the refs didnt call klay out of bounds on that crucial play.

[@StoneGames21]

I love your analyses. It's probably the least of your priorities, but would you ever do a retrospective analysis on Jose Calderon? What's interesting was that in his prime, Calderon's performance and playstyle seemed to create an efficient global offense like Steve Nash, yet the Raptors teams he played for never performed noticeably well, and some advanced stats like PER and BPM don't paint him as anything special. Was Jose just not talented enough for the league to prosper, or was his career just unlucky?

[@franciscopizarro5424]

StoneGames21 while Calderon was a great passer, he never had the shooting let alone scoring ability of Steve Nash.

[@Akash_ACash]

I love the style and accuracy of your analysis. Additionally, your cadence and voice remind me of CGPGrey - keep up the great work!

[@xHibachi24x]

My man, your videos have insane quality to them. I’d love to know how you’ve attained such massive basketball knowledge. Are you a coach somewhere? Or I’m guessing you’ve played a bunch of organized basketball in your life??

[@sohaminyoh]

2:10 love chris paul's play here ending with the tap on steph curry's arm

[@ddrumcorner4682]

...wow. pure ,unbiased, well-researched and methodical. subd.

[@CarlosISoares]

I really get you point, but in the final minutes you want the ball in the hand of your best player. With that in mind, you can understand from where the comments (of Harden not showing up in crunch time) are comming from. Just look what Curry did in game 6. Nonetheless, great analysis!

[@fuckoffstupidyoutub1]

Assuming that everyone will play Harden like a one on one situation and that is not the case, they double teamed and he passed. In other words, he did what the defense gave to him, and he did it great.

[@djluis49]

Wow dude, you should really be invited to one of these so called analysis shows. You actually show facts and numbers, instead of just random hot takes. Keep the good work.

[@mohamedghareeb6982]

hands down the best nba analysis channel on YT right now.

[@urbaindelva7869]

Now THIS is a dude that actually WATCHES the damn games.

[@GregTiu]

Love the analytical data driven approach to basketball. Quality content!

[@theeggreat4]

So I think my problem is if the ball was in his hand that controls the pace and flow of the game and could have possibly changed the outlook if the game but what your saying is true people love to play the results game

[@jpat13]

This channel is so underrated, deserves so many more subs and views

[@chrisperron5186]

My dude, you literally need to become an analyst on one of these sport shows. You put them to shame.

[@bkballa989]

Phenomenal Job. FS1 and mainly Chris B really have a way of downplaying what really went down.

[@LLPOF]

Awesome video man. If only more people analysts were like this.

[@jbug1979]

did anyone see that Tucker 3 ball as the shot clock expired (in the first half)? they originally counted it, but after commercial break, they deducted the points. i played it back in slow motion and he got the shot off before time expired! i believe those 3 points were vital and could've changed the mentality of the Rockets down the stretch. they wouldn't have felt the Warriors' lead hindering them as much..

[@Weejee456]

We all know these primetime analysts are all mouth pieces for hot takes and sensationalist statements. They don't understand analytics of basketball, they just draw viewers.

[@stephendudas5652]

Weijie Yao except them viewers are going to be flocking to channels like this

[@Star-pl1xs]

@@stephendudas5652 hopefully

[@bigbuddah180]

Videos like this is why you must do all your research when being entertain by on air media personalities...it’s opinion sports not factual unless your talking about a quote

[@grahmthrush4924]

This channel is amazing! I am obsessed, keep it up!

[@somerandomguy84]

Love the theatricality of these videos

[@kslikk34]

Eye opening. Thank you for your content.

[@Kirbyle7]

Wow, this was simply amazing. We need all the KZbin NBA analysts to create a KZbin sports network to show ESPN how its supposed to be done.

[@pedrochinchayan2671]

You are number 1 on my "KZbinrs to patreon" list

[@thecreaterswaqq13]

Can we speak on how harden stops working to get open and his low motor. or how he stands at the logo the entire play?

[@PodRealoaded]

Do you not see him running around 40 minutes a game on the offensive side creating opportunities for the team?

[@obed1234567]

What happened to Harden in game 6?

[@justanaverageperson544]

Firstly I appreciate your analysis. You're much better than the bs artists on TV. You are correct about winning bias that said there is something to be said about the eye test. I feel like James Harden still played below his average in a big playoff game. In fact your analysis supports this. As you said he still had a lower offensive load while his provided his team with a high offensive rating while on the floor the standard for an MVP candidate on a championship contender is different than it is for any other player. To that standard your analysis showed a guy just running the teams standard offense in a (for the team) standard way. Unfortunately for Harden in his position he is expected to elevate past the standard. He cant the test of greatness with a B-. You're video does invalidate Broussard's take that the Rockets played in a different than normal way. It doesn't invalidate Harden's play being described as passive relative to what he expected to be as a player. If you haven't already done so I'd love a video about how a player's status impacts how the perception of a player's performance and how good numbers for a role player are different than an all star, all NBA, and MVP candidate.

[@mraBJJ33]

Because people think stars are supposed to do everything and not play within the flow of their normal offense that has been keeping them in the game for 3.5 quarters so far. These people would have hated watching Tim Duncan, he made big plays in big moments but hes been on the court for countless moments that he had to step aside or set a high screen for Tony parker or Manu Ginobili to make the play.

[@rainsworth-]

You just exposed Broussard damn bruh. Maybe he watched the game in the ESPN APP box score.

[@tyrone7305]

But if you don't look at the analytics and watched the game, Broussard was right.

[@federicofregosi8988]

This is awesome content.

[@leowang7977]

This channel should have 1 mill subscribers

[@robbiehackman8811]

Keep doing your work . We love you . Great work .

[@wiggyj5795]

Haha finally got to make a video about winning bias Elgee. You’re still the goat realGM poster, your contributions are highly missed.

[@alanf5615]

These are really great original videos Would love to collab podcastwise

[@tonalddrump4128]

This analysis is way way more better than espn

[@jeanmacalino8143]

Dom sent me here bro. This channel is nice and dope af.

[@lakersfan2425]

I think it doesn't help Harden that when he doesn't have the ball in his hands, he just sits there and waits to get the ball back again. And although these are technically correct basketball decisions, the great players sometimes ignore that to take the shot since they believe they have the best chance making the shot

[@BenignoBarandaMusic]

wow! nice detailed info. Thanks. So much info which i cannot digest, though.

[@theblackmamba2433]

This channel is very valuable

[@armin38822]

Thank you,thank you and thank you again for all these videos you do.

[@unbiassportstalk463]

Been tryna find this vid for yrs thank youuu

[@skrewler]

Would love to see your analysis of Harden vs Spurs in.. 2016? That was painful to watch. Wonder if you could glean anything. Stephen A Smith thought he was drugged, others thought it was possible he had a concussion, and still others claimed he gave up / quit.

[@soulg77]

I'm seconding this. This video got thinking about the series now. And the term "winning bias" got me if he really gave up or were the Spurs that locked in defensively that series.

[@chuboasshippo2181]

@@soulg77 nah he choked and gave up. Never forget game 6 was in Houston and the spurs were missing kawhi and Tony Parker. Harden is the most overrated player in history (note: overrated does not mean worst)

[@soulg77]

@@chuboasshippo2181 Really? I never actually watched the game, only saw the box score and highlights.

[@chuboasshippo2181]

@@soulg77 yes i remember it like yesterday. if you didnt even watch the game you shouldnt be commenting misinformation

[@moogerchee2287]

1 bad choke doesn't mean anything, he played well in 2018-2020@@chuboasshippo2181

[@Eggmancan]

This channel is such a breath of fresh air in the online world of toxic nba hot takes. It's a shame there is only one of you since it feels like every game gives rise to a new crop of thoughtlessly reactionary BS that needs to be examined and broken down. (We got some more tonight in game 6 of this series...)

[@GregAlbrecht]

I feel like you shade the numbers to prove your point, but the numbers show he was less involved than in a typical regular season game. He should have had the ball in his hands for every play in the 4th if they wanted to win. Let the other guys focus on defense, Harden can create offense on his own and they would have gotten more stops on the defensive end which is what they needed

[@rgonzalo511]

Wrong the Rockets won games 3 and 4 without Harden having much of the ball. In those games the other players steped up. Harden having the ball does not guaranted a win it's stupid to assume that.

[@Ben-hl5mu]

Much respect for your great content, I love all your videos. You put so much time and thought into your analysis and you have an excellent knowledge of the game. I way prefer your videos as compared to listening to the sensationalism and hyperbole of the analysts on the big sports networks. I can only listen to Skip Bayless talk so much when he starts ranting about how LBJ is a choke because he missed one shot with the Heat 7 years ago or that Kawhi's success in Toronto was all luck because he got one favourable bounce on one shot he took through 4 playoff series.

[@gr4ndady93]

If I owned a team if hire you no questions asked keep up the good work brother 💪👍

[@xwfbsmedia1108]

I know Miami isn't necessarily a hot topic right now but I would love to hear his analysis of eith Bam, J Rich or Winslow

[@mildyproductive9726]

Last play in the video, damn. I remember thinking how the heck that wasn't an and 1.

[@qwikscopez6619]

There are things in your book that would fetch millions of views for a video and would also educate alot of people

[@TheTEN24]

Great points as always

[@vjk9936]

Your channel is excellent period.

[@ronaldmendez306]

I just tried to subscribe not knowing I already had ✅

[@cozyfades1587]

Can't wait to see how Harden was amazing tonight

[@tonygraydon6317]

God bless you sir, best analysis out there

[@elchinolatino15]

Amazing analysis. None of those clowns at ESPN

[@marlorosit1190]

You deserve my sub man, goodjob :)

[@martimcfly9147]

This content creator is better than all the millionaires at ESPN and FOXSports...more proof that life is about who you know.

[@stargon]

Keep it up, this is beautiful.

[@flight_knight_]

Hey i just saw one of your videos comparing Giannis and Harden across eras and it made me wonder if Kobe is underrated in terms of the goat discussion because he played in a inefficient era when compared to Jordan. I think a Kobe vs Jordan adjusted stats video would be great to see.

[@gosstopher]

He's done a list of the top 40 "most valuable" careers in NBA history with video and stats breakdowns, obviously both Kobe and Jordan feature: www.backpicks.com/2017/12/11/the-backpicks-goat-the-40-best-careers-in-nba-history/

[@arthurambrosio5278]

Rockets doesn't have versatility for offense,in every game,they have just 3 attacks,iso with harden or paul,passing to capela and openin space and givin the ball to someone outside.It's easy to avoid when you have a great coach

[@calebdmofficial]

I didn’t realize this before, but Chris Paul gave a super illegal screen on that Eric Gordon 3.

[@2endsformacircle762]

Very interesting take.

[@kengriff3057]

Need more guys like u instead of this wack and trash analyst your actually visualizing breaking it down by each play and actually have knowledge 💯

[@malycw7903]

Great analysis. In other words, Rockets lost it on the defensive side?

[@ajdaking507]

Exactly

[@Max-kv8uw]

Video on Kawhi Leonard?

[@fuckoffstupidyoutub1]

Yes please

[@aarnavgakhar9795]

Yes let’s go another vid on my boy James! Great video!

[@DaKid27]

wow ... and when Steph wasn't playing well today they mentioned how he doesn't get the criticism Harden does. Some people just don't like the Rockets style

[@TSgitaar]

No, its hard to watch sometimes (players just dancing around the three point line without much passing). But I actually liked how they played this particular quarter offensively. They involved all their players to create good shots.

[@albertoesperanza4771]

I dont like it one bit but I respect it

[@marquisreid3]

The best basketball analyst 💯💯

[@NBAkingsfan10]

Great Video!!!

[@Ricky_Bobby2314]

That's been his MO, he does damage during the regular season but disappears during the post season 🤔🤔🤔

[@adithsundram1875]

did you watch the video?

[@sydneycole3180]

Peter 34 ppg in this playoff series on 44%.... 👀

[@jaythefifth]

While all of these stats seem to be true the fact remains that Harden is being compared to the greats that came before him who were also great scorers ie Jordan, Kobe. He made some very smart plays but did not force the issue and take over like the guys mentioned above. That is why to the naked eye he disappeared... losing the game is not effective at all.

[@TheNamesDitto]

Force the issue? Takeover? These are all subjective statements. He would have generated 3 more points had tucker not stepped out of bounds.

[@jaythefifth]

TheNamesDitto not necessarily. He is the greatest at getting foul calls, maybe the greatest step back three point shooter. He has an arsenal from which to choose. When the game is on the line, as the best player on the team, you have to “take over”.

[@oriddle]

Very interesting, though I do have a couple of things I'd like to note 1. You do expect - in this era - to see Harden's offensive load go UP, rather than decreasing by ~25%, he is the team leader and top scorer. 2. You could argue that Harden was 'College-Trae-Young'ing the Dubs, as in most of the un-involved sequences you don't even see him in the frame, and Houston attacks 4x4 3. The thing which is interesting to me is how much is this (4x4) was common during the regular season. Was Harden spotting up when CP3 ran the show or was he somewhere around the logo area. It's not just if he was actively involved, but also whether he was a threat at any point in the offense.

[@marcnairn8355]

Winning bias is the only thing that drives hour long postgame debates

[@bimaputra3985]

breakdown aged like a fine wine

[@ivorystone5]

Let's do analysis on his flopping now and foul hunting. His stats in these categories kick ass because nobody does it like Harden. Stats chaser.

[@anthonynorman7545]

Thank you for talking sense

[@dennisseet3179]

Brilliant video and breakdown! 👍This is why I always say "analyst" was just paid to talk shit. They don't even know what they saying

[@VVVY777]

This video is of an analyst analyzing. Some analysts on tv are coaches and ex players. Most fans are just being dumb because their confirmation biases aren't always fed.

[@HandsomeRabbit8]

The famous "analysts" are more like meme-creators who are forever writing with their heads down but seldom watching and reading the game, with their heads up, as you do.

[@YahudimFromAncientOphir]

You pointed that out. Nowntell us how did they lose this game?