Stephen Curry will likely spend a lot of time guarding James Harden in the Western Conference Finals, and he knows he will need to show a lot of discipline to avoid committing fouls — even if he’s not actually committing fouls.
While speaking with reporters on Sunday, Curry said he is expecting the Houston Rockets to attempt to isolate him on James Harden quite a bit. When that happens, he says he needs to focus on not reaching because Harden has turned drawing fouls into an “art.”
Steph Curry on the difficulty of guarding James Harden without fouling: "Can't reach. Whether it's a foul or not, he makes it look like a foul. There's an art to that."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 14, 2018
All of the game’s best players are good at getting officials to blow the whistle in their favor, so Harden shouldn’t be insulted by Curry basically saying he flops. Curry is considered somewhat of a weak link defensively for the Golden State Warriors, but he says he is ready for the challenge.
Steph Curry knows the Rockets are going to drag him into switches to isolate him defensively guarding Harden/Paul. He understands the strategy. "I hope it's every single play." pic.twitter.com/0nJ9YhM9p4
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 11, 2018
We have already seen Harden draw some ridiculous fouls this postseason, so it makes sense that Curry is preparing for it. Harden averaged more than 30 points per game during the regular season, and he will likely score plenty in the series. Putting him at the line only makes it easier.
