The Sixers, The Hawks, And The Stuff Of A Potential Classic

There is a play dynamic that James Harden has long been the NBA's best at: let's call it the lob-floater blur. Turning the corner on his defender and seeing a rim protector rush to block his way for an easy lay-up, Harden can loft the ball over a big man's outstretched hands—either into the basket, or to a teammate near it, who is prepared for a dunk. And the confusion caused from which of the two he might be doing, and its related paralysis (or often, the defense simply guessing wrong) has been distilled into a Cy Young level fastball/changeup duality over the years.