This is so true. The Rockets might stay Harden-centric for the next 4 years and have 3 more 50+ win seasons and deep playoff teams, but its all going to be based on how Harden plays. Unless the Rockets acquire Curry, Lebron, Durant, and maybe Anthony Davis, Harden is going to be the best player on the team, and the team will go as he goes. That's just the nature of having a player as dynamic as Harden, and risking a down-year every once in awhile. What I will say is that if the Rockets stay Harden-Centric (likely they will) I find it hard to see them NOT at least having 3 out of 5 more productive years (assuming he resigns/extends with the Rockets). He's just not bad enough to rebound and regroup to where he was before this season or at least 2013/14 Harden level which is proven to get your team to 50+ wins. When you stay Harden centric moving forward, you are taking a pretty low risk gamble that he rebounds and plays back to his normal superstar level. Even in a down year, he's still producing at a high rate. Its just that when he has a down year like this one, everyone else suffers more than Harden does. Harden is to blame, but also in the 50+ win seasons, he's the one to praise... That's just the way it goes with dynamic superstars of his level. Either you want to risk your time with one, or settle for mediocrity/or the draft.
I see Harden fire passes from well above the 3pt line (because he's too slow to get by his man) to guys who aren't open at all
In regards to this thread, this Rockets team has depleted so much of my love for the sport, and it starts with Harden's tendencies this year. Terrible defense, subpar off-ball movement. Poor decisions in 4th quarter situation, and more iso-ball. But it's mostly the defense that pisses me off. I can forgive other flaws if you play good defense, which is why I haven't really gotten on Ariza's case this year. I am really starting to despise stat geeks. Edit: Ok ok, uneducated *stat* users. Meh. Bleh.
A stat geek would apply dozens of other stats to that (turnovers, points scored by opponent when guarded by that player, opponents team scoring with that guy on the floor, opponents transition points after turnovers commited by the player, average time with ball in hands, dozens of other stats,) and then form a real conclusion. Don't call anyone using pts, reb and ast a stat geek, they are the people that hastily opened a boxscore and copied the three media stats, thinking it has any meaning or thinking it's a statistical approach.
Hereby is the problem. If he is your second fiddle or a high end role player (a guy like Klay Thompson), that's fine. As long as he produces, the team will thrive with their best player (e.g. Curry). But Harden is not that. He is our LEADING guy. When your leading guy has an attitude problem, the whole team suffers. It's not just his offensive production we need.
