CLEVELAND — Sam Merrill is a “sniper,” according to James Harden, but not the kind Harden is used to working with.
The man famous for declaring himself the “system” has perfected his own offense over his 17-year career that features floor spacers, rim runners, and him orchestrating everything at the top of the arc. Harden needs to know where everyone is on the court so that when the defense adjusts, he can whip the pass over to the open man.
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Merrill can stand in the corner and wait for a pass, but that isn’t who he is. He’s a movement shooter that can bend a defense with his constant activity away from the play. That skill set plays well with seemingly every guard, but it isn’t exactly what you’d ideally pair with Harden.
However, the Cavs have gotten a new version of Harden, one that is in the process of blending his heliocentric system with Kenny Atkinson’s motion offense. And so far, the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t have asked for better results, particularly when Merrill and Harden share the floor.
In nine games together, the Cavs have scored 123.3 points per 100 possessions (95th percentile for an offensive rating) in the 205 minutes Harden and Merrill have shared the floor. The combination of Harden’s ability to manipulate the defense and make every pass, in addition to Merrill’s shooting, has made them a deadly pair.
“I think he’s just a really good player, and he fits with anybody,” Merrill told Fear the Sword. “He’s obviously a great passer. I think he has trust in me that he can throw me a pass late in the shot clock or a little off target and still have confidence I’m going to make it.”
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The numbers show that Harden does indeed trust Merrill.
Harden has made 10.6 passes a game to Merrill, which is the most he’s averaging to any of his new teammates. Merrill is taking 4.1 shots per game off those passes and is knocking down 51.4% of his looks on those shots, which includes going 53.8% from three. This has led to 19 of Harden’s 71 assists in a Cavs uniform, resulting in a Merrill basket.
As impressive as the stats are, seeing how the duo has generated their success is even more impressive and what interests me. So much so, that I asked Merrill to watch some of these plays on my cracked cellphone screen and have him break down what he’s looking for when playing alongside Harden.
“For me, I’m just always trying to find a window for him,” Merrill said.
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That’s a good rule of thumb, but it isn’t always required with a passer as gifted as Harden.
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When watching the clip above, Merrill pointed out the three defenders who were down low at the start of the play, presumably to cut off a window to the basket. “I’m just trying to move up so he could see me.”
Those concerns were unnecessary. Harden doesn’t need to be able to see his teammate to know where they are. “He’s smart enough to know that someone’s there. I don’t think it was an off-target pass. I think he was just hoping I’d be in the corner, and I ended up getting there.”
The most important thing when playing alongside Harden is to expect the unexpected.
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“You’re taught to always be ready,” Merrill said.
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This wasn’t a situation you’d normally expect to receive a pass. Harden is already going up with the shot when he decides to throw the bounce pass Merrill’s way.
You don’t see bounce passes outside the paint very often. “You’re not really used to it on the perimeter, but it’s a great pass obviously.” It being a bounce pass causes the shot motion to start lower than normal due to the height it’s received, but that isn’t much of a concern if you have as fast of a release as Merrill does.
As seen with these first two clips, Merrill can work as a prototypical catch-and-shoot player alongside Harden. In the following three, we see how Harden amplifies what Merrill does best: cause chaos off the ball.
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Merrill’s movements aren’t scripted. He’s constantly reading and reacting to what the defense gives him, which can include attacking the basket when the defense gives him a chance to do so.
“I just saw no one at the rim [so I attacked],” Merrill said.
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Merrill highlighted that he knows his defender is going to trail. Going under a screen against Merrill is a quick way to get pulled out of the game. Understanding that allows him to attack the rim in a situation where the big has vacated the paint to get to the level of the screen.
“I get around the screen, and there’s no one there (at the rim),” Merrill said. “So even if the pass isn’t there, it still opens things up.”
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Getting to the basket is still the best place to score. Merrill has converted 81% of his looks at the rim, which is a higher-percentage play than a three-point opportunity for a 46% outside shooter.
“You see an open paint, you got to make the most of it. Get as many two-pointers as you can.”
Merrill’s off-ball movement has also made him deadly in screening actions, but how he does so with Harden is a little different. Merrill mentioned that he has to hold the screen a “half second” longer than normal to see how the defense reacts. Plays like this are why.
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“I know [the defender] is going to show because that’s what he’s been doing. So if I can get uphill and then slip out, I know something is gonna open up there.”
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Harden and Merrill are both feel players who are constantly evaluating and adjusting to what their opponents give them.
“It’s just about reading the defense,” Merrill said.
This can also work to create easy looks for Harden.
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As with the previous clip, Merrill quickly gets out of the screen, hardly touching the defender. “If he feels contact, sometimes that’ll create indecision with them where it’s like, ‘Am I supposed to switch now?’ Or whatnot.”
Creating this split second of indecision is all that he wants to do in these actions. That’s why he usually goes with this approach.
“I try to mix it up, but knowing that Isaiah Joe (Merrill’s defender) is probably going to try to show there, you just want to get some contact on Cason Wallace (Harden’s defender) there so he feels something. Maybe creates some indecision.”
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Where the contact comes is also important. In both of the clips where Merrill screens for Harden, he’s initiating contact with Harden’s defender on the defender’s right hip, allowing Harden to get to his dominant side. “If James can get to his left hand, he’s gonna get what he wants.”
The Cavs have done a great job of mixing Atkinson’s motion-based offense with Harden’s iso heavy sets. They’ve managed to keep elements of both, which can be seen in some of the ways they’ve used Merrill as simply a floor spacer alongside Harden, as well as incorporating his typical off-ball movement.
“James is playing within our style as well, but he has his style, of kind of spreading everybody out, get into his iso game, and play off of that,” Merrill said. “So it’s a little bit of an adjustment. Sometimes it’s a little more holding your spot as opposed to maybe cutting, but not something we’ve never done.”
Merrill isn’t someone who would necessarily fit into Harden’s traditional system, given his drastic off-ball movement. Then again, the Cavs didn’t trade for prime Harden, who needs things perfectly catered to him.
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This version of Harden knows that he’s running out of time to win a championship to validate his legendary career. He’s going to work with the group he’s given. How quickly and easily he’s adapted his game to Merrill and the rest of his new teammates is proof of that.
“It’s one goal, and we all have that in common,” Harden said. “Whether I take four shots or take 20 shots, if we win the game, who cares?”
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