No it hasn't. He was one of the leaders in assists amongst SGs last season, and is doing it again this season. His defense is questionable, but there is no basis to this whole "Harden doesn't pass the ball" theme.
It's definately not being 5 feet away from the 3 line almost half court standing still. Have you seen that?
Harden has complimented other players before and has taken the blame when things go wrong. But I feel it was refreshing that he is letting others initiate the offense and more willing to finish the play. I want James to be the finisher and not always having to initiate and finish plays as well. There are going to be times where he should initiate but he shouldn't take it upon himself to do it every play especially if you have capable playmakers in Lin or Parsons.
I have noticed that James is playing team ball the last couple of games and his D is getting better. It has taken awhile but it was expected given that the team is getting finally getting healthy and starting to gel chemistry wise.
That is kind of my point, Harden is my favorite player but his off-ball play is generally pretty terrible. He's at his best with the ball in his hands.
It does seem to me that after resting his foot, he's been a lot more willing to hustle, put in effort and get everyone involved. Maybe he came to the realization that with Dwight on the team, Jeremy+Beverley+CP improving over the offseason, the bench putting in work and Jones playing out of his mind, he doesn't have to carry the team while playing through injuries anymore and that gave him both the confidence and energy to focus on all aspects of his role (on and off the court) instead of just volume scoring. Simply put, maybe the recovery time helped him both mentally and psychologically instead of just physically. He missed some games, the team stepped it up so he could rest and the world didn't end. That's a big load off the shoulders of a guy who, despite being called upon to lead, is still young and might need time to fully mesh into all that's demanded of him. That kind of confidence and trust could certainly inspire a would-be leader to give it everything he has, knowing his teammates will do the same. Put in effort, show work ethic, lead by example. I love it. Let's hope it lasts. This could be a pivotal moment in the Rockets' evolution from a collection of great talent to a cohesive basketball powerhouse. One can dream.
I loved the team chemistry from last year. It was almost like watching a college team, probably because they were all so young and none of them were legit stars yet. That was missing from the first third of this season. I think it was a combo of heightened expectations, inevitable growths of egos, and the arrival of such a big piece like Howard. Hopefully, everything is meshing now!
He's been giving credit to teammates since he joined the team. All you have to do is utube post game interviews form last year to see that. Some people just have selective hearing and/or confirmation bias if they dislike him. You're right in saying he has stepped it up on the defensive end and hustle, though.
This will never get through some peoples' heads. Harden will be a "ballhog" until Lin is putting up 20 ppg
but what really surprised me was when he set a screen for Lin to drive to the hoop, on the 4th during clutch time. I was like WTF man, that's a a first for Harden. Perhaps things have changed. But it might just a fluke .
hard to measure leadership., and he has been playing better, but this crossover tho... front page of nba's youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrufXUD-uB0
It's not that he doesn't pass the ball. It's that he runs the show as he sees fit. Iso iso is pass. He likes spectacular plays both shooting and passing but he only recently has done that in the flow of the game. He is not as bad as Kobe but it's one of his flaws. Of course he has more talent than flaws just saying. On topic, I noticed Harden gettin' pissed at Howard after Howard yelled something at him one game and then a couple games later Harden pushes Howard off of him in what some say was a prank but clearly Harden was not happy. Just wondering if Harden saying Dmo was the difference was a dis on Howard. Just sayin
