New Year's resolution for James Harden 2018 resolution: More movement off the ball Yes, James Harden leads the league in scoring by a healthy margin. And he's more efficient than he's ever been as a go-to guy. Harden creates more in isolation than anyone in the league. It's not even close. He averages an NBA-high 11.6 points per game off isos, significantly ahead of second place LeBron James (6.9) and more than twice as much as any other player. Harden, however, often settles for just standing on the wing when Chris Paul has the ball. How much more of a headache might Houston's top-ranked offense be if Harden dedicated himself to being a threat when he's off the ball? Granted, Harden being pedestrian off the ball is partially by design. It's a way of allowing Harden, who leads the league with a usage rate of 36.0 percent, to essentially rest for an occasional possession. The Rockets, having the luxury of featuring two premier penetrating playmakers, don't set many off-ball screens for anyone. They actually rank dead last in the league in that category, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Houston has set only 40 off-ball screens for Harden all season -- that's less than half of even Russell Westbrook, another elite ball handler who tends to be a spectator when he doesn't have the rock. Here's why Houston might want more of that action for Harden: He's really good when it happens. In fact, his average of 1.5 points per possession after an off-ball screen is the best in the NBA among players with at least 40 opportunities.
