BOSTON — James Harden is a future Hall-of-Famer. His ability to control an offense is unlike most players who have ever stepped on an NBA basketball court. Even at 36 years old, he’s a monumental offensive threat, and the LA Clippers’ slow start to the season doesn’t change that. But the Boston Celtics could have guys capable of slowing him down.
The Boston Celtics’ new defensive scheme, in theory, should be built well to contain Harden. They send help, rotate quickly, and scramble on that end of the floor. Yet they have two guys who stand above the pack as seemingly perfect candidates to take on the Harden matchup: Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez.
As the season has progressed, they’ve shown their willingness (and ability) to guard the NBA’s best time and time again.
Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez could be James Harden stoppers
Gonzalez first burst onto the scene in the Celtics’ second game of the season against the New York Knicks. He mucked up the contest in the second half, even taking on the Jalen Brunson assignment.
The very next game, he earned the first start of his NBA career and guarded Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham. Since then, he’s spent time on Tyrese Maxey, Desmond Bane, and others.
Meanwhile, Walsh’s recent emergence as a rotation staple (and even a starter) has come with some high-level defensive assignments. He challenged Paolo Banchero in the Orlando Magic mini-series and got three straight crunch-time stops against Maxey in Boston’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Matching up with Harden could be their next test, though it won’t be one they face alone.
“He's just obviously a smart player,” Mazzulla said of Harden pre-game on Sunday afternoon. “Does a great job in his pick-and-roll reads, his creating separation. He gets to the free-throw line, controls the pace of the game with his attacking and his ability to playmake. So, we're gonna have to have multiple defenders and defend them as a team.”
Walsh’s top matchups this season (in terms of minutes guarded) are Maxey, Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Gonzalez’s are Cunningham, Wagner, Brunson, Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.
Harden’s shiftiness and play style are completely unique. The way he uses his body could be a challenge for Boston’s youngsters. But based on the way the year has gone thus far, Walsh and Gonzalez seem up to the challenge.
They’ve emerged as the two best star-stopping options in the Celtics’ young rotation.