[Huffington Post] James Harden's Glaring Defensive Problem Is Way Worse Than You Thought

James has "worst moments on the job" every single game, multiple times a game.

 

there are no players who average well above 40 minutes.

 

yes but Butler is one guy, and he's got Gasol, Rose, and Noah. Harden has...well we know what he has, thanks to Morey.

 

Why doesn't anybody chew out Frauden in interviews? I sure would

 

not this yr. but go back several seasons and see. you dont have to go too far, my friend.

 

Harden has plenty in Ty, Howard, Ariza, Thornton, Bev, JET etc but he just choses not to use them and play ISO ball my stats matter first.

I've grown to get tired of this excuse that Harden has totally inept offensive players around him. False. It's just that with Harden's style of play, it is very hard for others to play to their potential. Ty was a 15/10 guy. Dwight can get you 18/12 easy, Trev and MT are deadly shooters when open........

 

I think to whole team is possibly bad when it comes to perimeter defense during the game. When you play the style the Rockets play, which might be run as fast as you can after getting a rebound, I think that system may take a toll on the ability, and agility, to be as possibly effective on the other side of the ball.

 

Harden hasn't played good defence since last year. In fact, I remember last pre season, Harden was flat out visably a better defender, he tried, hustled, etc. He has not put fourth the effort once this year that he had in prior pre season games. Pretty trashy IMO

 

look,,, i dont like to see harden become a whipping boy, like everything is his fault. that's simply not true. after all, he's still a brilliant talent.

that said, is it really too much to ask to played a tad decent (not great, but decent) defense, like so may great players have done before him?

 

so its the coaches fault harden dribbles for 20 seconds and finally makes a move. its the coaches fault he pulls up for a quick 3 without any other player touching it. its the coaches the fault he still doesn't play off the ball. Things like this, players themselves need to look at themselves in the mirror first. Blaming simple basketball decisions on somebody else is just pathetic and an added list of horrible excuses for this guy

 

he does that because the idiot we had running the team enabled him. What else is Harden supposed to do when the coach tells him to iso the entire game?

Don't get me wrong, I think Harden's the next Carmelo Anthony, and I will kill him all day for his mental weakness, but I just cant dog him on this aspect.

 

It appears my grammar is on the same level as Harden's defense

 

yes the coach is partly to blame for not having a cohesive offensive gameplan. What do you expect a player to do if it's obvious his coach doesnt know how to do a set play? If Morey wasn't so enamored with having a coach that he could control, Harden would be a different player. What if we had someone like JVG or Adelman? You really think Harden would just go ISO all day?

 

so you're one of those types that needs a coach to tell you everything you need to do right? you take no responsibility in it yourself to make decisions for yourself and hold yourself accountable.

 

Yeah I know. Morey and the idiot McHale enabled and encouraged this free style of play with no repurcussions. Like I said McHale held us back quite a bit with his garbage coaching and lack of accountability

Having said that, at some point, Harden a 26 yr old veteran has to watch and learn how to make his teammates better and how to incorporate team ball. You can still get your numbers by sharing the ball. You don't have to pound it every possession.

 

Whats Harden going to do? Design and run a play while on the court? If the coach does not have an offensive gameplan, a player has no choice but to do exactly what Harden does on offense. Our offense is playground style offense because our last coach's main function was to clap his hands and yell "play harder"

 

whats interesting is the gameplan is built around Harden and the way he wants it to be. This team is built and surrounded by he is as a player and what he can do. Im sick of people complaining about plays like its run all the time in a game when in reality they aren't. Understand that first. As bad as the rockets are playing this year, a play here or there would not make up for everything they're bad at this year.

 

I honestly dont think he will ever mature into that until he goes to another team. He's too ingrained in this setting. He's a classic example of needing a wakeup call, and that kind of call wont happen unless he gets traded or the Rox dont extend him

 

tell me how youre going to run a play when Harden doesn't even move when he doesnt have the ball. His play off the ball is non existent. To actually run a play requires movement. Hardens best play is let everyone else move and give him the ball.

 

James already thinks he's playing too many minutes.

What is he gonna do, if many of you get your wish, when Thibs comes aboard?

Spoiler

'10-'11:
Deng: 39.1 minutes
Rose: 37.4
Noah: 32.8
Boozer: 31.9
(38y/o) Kurt Thomas: 22.7
R.Brewer: 22.0
Gibson: 21.8
Korver: 20.0
Bogans: 17.8
C.J. Watson: 13.3
Asik: 12.1

'11-'12:
Deng: 39.4
Rose: 35.3
Noah: 30.4
Boozer: 29.5
Hamilton: 24.9
Brewer: 24.8
Watson: 23.7
Korver: 22.6
Gibson: 20.4
Lucas: 14.8
Asik: 14.7
James: 10.9

'12-'13:
Deng: 38.7
Noah: 36.8
Boozer: 32.2
Hinrich: 29.4
Butler: 26.0
Belinelli: 25.8
Robinson: 25.4
Gibson: 22.4
Hamilton: 21.8
Mohammed: 11.0

'13-'14:
Butler: 38.7
Deng: 37.4
Noah: 35.3
Dunleavy: 31.3
Rose: 31.1
Augustin: 30.4
Hinrich: 29.0
Gibson: 28.7
Boozer: 28.2
Snell: 16.0
Teague: 12.7

'14-'15:
Butler: 38.7
Gasol: 34.4
Noah: 30.6
Rose: 30.0
Dunleavy: 29.2
Gibson: 27.3
Hinrich: 24.4
Brooks: 23.0
Mirotic: 20.2
Snell: 19.6

38/39/40 minute games will be the norm.

But Coach Thib, I'm tired! You're playing me too many minutes!

Thib's response:

Spoiler

Get your ass back out there and play some defense while you're at it.