Fastbreak Breakfast: Examining James Harden’s playoff dips and the fit with Russell Westbrook

Ben Taylor joins a new episode of Fastbreak Breakfast to discuss numerous topics, including the idea of basketball skills being “scalable” and the James Harden/Russell Westbrook fit.

Despite being an elite offensive playmaker and posting mind-boggling statistics over the last few regular seasons, James Harden’s numbers take a noticeable dip in the playoffs. Is there enough of a sample size to consider this a problem? Are their reasons why he is susceptible to postseason statistical swoons when other NBA stars are not?

That is one of the questions posed to Ben Taylor (@elgee35) on a brand new episode of Fastbreak Breakfast. Ben is the author of Thinking Basketball and the creator of a YouTube channel and podcast of the same.

Also covered:

• How will the ball-dominant Harden and Russell Westbrook coexist on the Rockets? With all the other player movement this summer is Houston still in the top-tier of Western Conference contenders?
• What does the term “scalable” or “scalability” mean in the context of NBA skills?
• Can Zion Williamson thrive his rookie season if he struggles to shoot the ball? Did his 9-minute summer league stint do anything to highlight or assuage concerns?
• When attacking an all-you-can-eat buffet, what sort of game plan should be utilized? What adjustments must be made when pressed for time?

Be sure to subscribe to Ben’s YouTube channel and read more of his Thinking Basketball analysis at BackPicks.com.

Fastbreak Breakfast is a podcast for serious NBA fans that is incredibly not serious. All episodes are available on Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud or any other major podcast service.

Music provided courtesy of New Man and Codaphonic.

If you want to gain access to exclusive Fastbreak Breakfast bonus content including extra full episodes, go to Patreon.com/Fastbreakbreakfast.  We believe in supporting the content we enjoy and also building relationships with our biggest fans, and all of that is accomplished at Patreon.com/Fastbreakbreakfast.

At the very least, consider writing us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts!