Houston Rockets: FIBA Announcer Mocks James Harden

James Harden has been basketball’s prime subject of ridicule as he displayed a paltry level of effort on the defensive end throughout the 2013-14 season. Videos of Harden’s laziness on defense have pervaded social media sites while fans everywhere show a penchant for snickering at (arguably) the league’s best 2-guard; however, it seems as though fans aren’t the only ones who enjoy disparaging the Beard’s defense.

James Harden spent the first three years of his career playing under the shadows of the precocious Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City before being traded to Houston. Harden has proved that he’s capable of playing lock-down defense during his tenure with the Thunder — but he’s been nothing short of apathetic on defense with the Rockets.

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One argument that commonly arises in favor of Harden is that it would be a strenuous task for any NBA player to carry the bulk of a team’s offensive load — especially if he scores 25 points on average and creates plays for others like Harden. Exerting a proportionate amount of energy on the other end of the court seems preposterous.

Let’s measure the validity of this argument by considering Harden’s defense with Team USA during the FIBA World Cup. As the acknowledged leader of the team, Harden occupies a diminished role compared to his function with the Rocket, as he plays alongside a plethora of stars from around the league — he’s averaging 12.7 points and 3.9 assists per contest so far in the World Cup.

Thus, Harden has been expected to ameliorate his defensive abilities while simultaneously serving as a leader for USA’s pack of rising stars.

Moreover, it’s difficult to imagine how any of the USA’s young group of guys could genuinely respect someone who displays Harden’s type of foolery on defense, even if one would claim to do so. Here’s one of James Harden’s earlier in the tournament as he served as a spectator while Turkey easily generated a wide open 3 in the corner:

In USA’s win on Thursday against Lithuania, ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla joined in on the critical maligning of Harden’s sluggishness on defense. “I could have scored on James Harden,” he said as he commentated on this play:

Nonetheless, Harden is still an essential cog for team USA as he remains a dervish on the offensive end. He may have offered little to no resistance on defense, which helped Lithuania give team USA fits in the tightly contested first half; however, Harden exploded 16 points in the third quarter and helped to spark an insurmountable USA lead.

Harden’s defense, albeit laughable, probably will not impede Team USA from winning the World Cup as his potent offense and accomplished teammates are more than capable of getting the team to the gold; but it could very well tamper with the Rockets’ championship aspirations during the NBA season.

Fortunately for Harden, the Houston Rockets signed a defensive specialist in Trevor Ariza, who will help mask Harden’s deficiencies on defense; however, just like his enduring shaggy beard, it seems as though things never change when it pertains to James Harden’s indolence on defense.