Barkley insists that Harden s offense surpassed the superstars of the same period. Did he say it wrong?

Charles Barkley recently talked about James Harden again - and this time, he still insisted on his view that many people had "doned" a few years ago.

"I said a few years ago that Harden is the strongest offensive player I have ever seen in my life, no doubt about it," Barkley reiterated on the show. "At that time, many people laughed at me and said I was crazy. But now you see, he is still the one who can break the defense strategy of the entire league."

To be honest, when I heard Barkley say this, many people really felt it was exaggerated. After all, there were Kobe, Durant, Curry in our era, and earlier Jordan and Iverson... Which one is not an offensive killer?

But if you think about Harden's peak period, especially his years with the Rockets - averaging 30+, 40+ or ​​even 50+ per game, it has almost become a routine operation. His arsenal is too rich with three-pointers, foul skills, and breakthrough passes.

More importantly, Harden redefined the role of "offensive organizer". He is not only a scorer, but also a tactical starting point. He has been the scoring + assist king for many consecutive times, and there are only a handful of players in history who can do this.

You have to admit that his offensive influence is intergenerational.

Some people also refute that Harden's playing style is not "traditional" enough and relies too much on rules and punishments. But the fact is that it is definitely not a coincidence that it can maintain high output in the NBA for so many years. His basketball IQ, rhythm control and endurance are all historically level.

Although Harden no longer scores high scores as frequently as before, his organizational ability after transformation and his scoring stability at critical moments still cause headaches for many teams.

Look at the efficiency of the key games this season, he is still the man you dare not let go.

Bakley's words might sound a little sensational at the time, but now looking back, I have to say that he really has vision. Harden's offense is definitely the most unique phenomenon in this era.

He is not a "scorer" in the traditional sense, but a complete offensive system. This has not been truly understood by more people until now.