NBA Player Power Rankings: Damian Lillard for MVP?
12. James Harden, Houston Rockets
Last Rank: No. 9
Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 26
Slash Line: .429/.349/.866
Season Averages: 37.4 MPG, 28.3 PPG, 7.0 APG, 6.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 2.8 3PM
James Harden is one of the most productive players in the NBA. He scores at an elite rate, posts tremendous assist numbers for a player at his position, and even manages to pull down a high number of rebounds.
The best way to describe Harden’s greatness in 2015-16 is by calling it what it is: individual greatness.
After establishing himself as a leader during his first three seasons with the Houston Rockets, Harden seems to have lost the hold he had on the locker room. His scoring exploits are tremendous, and his assist numbers are high, but there is no cohesion in Houston’s locker room.
That falls on the head coach, but it also lands on one of the most ball-dominant players in the NBA.
Harden’s usage rate of 32.2 percent is ridiculous. Even that fails to illustrate how Harden-centric Houston’s offense is, as the ball generally finds The Bearded One’s hands and then disappears until he’s ready to make a play—a great way to prevent a motion offense from ever being properly executed.
An inefficient and turnover-prone playmaker, and a defensive liability, Harden simply can’t be classified as a Top 10 player in 2015-16.
Next: The Underrated Star