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Houston Rockets: It’s Bad In Houston, But How Bad Is It Really?

By Duncan Smith

Nov 1, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (20) is pressured by Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 109-89. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (20) is pressured by Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 109-89. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

James Harden Just Isn’t Right

In what might be the understatement of the young season, James Harden hasn’t been good. He hasn’t even been bad. He’s been absolutely awful, and he needs to turn it around.

Harden suffered a knee contusion in a preseason game against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 11 and while there haven’t really been murmurs of continued issues from that injury, it seems like the easiest thing that can be blamed (unless we want to dig into the Khloe Kardashian drama, which we don’t).

So far this season, Harden is playing 37.5 minutes per game while shooting 22.2 percent from the floor. That’s an average of four makes on 18 shots per game. Even worse, he is averaging 9.4 percent from behind the three-point arc, and he’s firing off 10.7 three-pointers per game.

Across the league, only Steph Curry is shooting more threes per game, but Curry is hitting 48.6 percent of his 11.7 shots per game.

Harden is getting to the free throw line at a fairly typical rate and making 87.1 percent of his free throws, while also averaging 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. Aside from the shooting percentages and the gratuitously nonchalant long-range shots, his other measurables are in line.

He’s a black hole on offense though, and this needs to be solved, and solved quickly. Even the elite of the West can’t afford to drop games the way this team is right now, if indeed we can justify still calling the Rockets elite.

Next: Lawson

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