James Harden: The NBA’s Most Controversial Superstar

The Bad

Now I know what you’re thinking: Harden may be good on offense, but it’s completely counterbalanced by how atrocious he is on the defensive end. And you’re sort of right: Harden is without a doubt one of the worst defenders for his position in the entire NBA, if not THE worst.

His defensive rating of 106.2 actually ranks in the middle of the pack on this atrocious Rockets defense, but it’s a far cry from his mark of 101.9 last season, when Houston was the league’s sixth ranked defense. That whole “lead by example” thing definitely applies here, and Harden’s frequent lapses on the defensive end are a pretty clear indicator that he’s not a bonafide leader yet.

According to NBA.com, opponents are shooting 46.9 percent from the field when defended by Harden this season, about 2.2 percent better than they’d normally shoot on such shots. Defensive field goal percentage is not a 100 percent reliable statistic, however, especially for a player like Harden who often loses his man off the ball and gives up uncontested layups or three-pointers.

Because of this, there isn’t really a statistic to clearly accentuate how miserable Harden’s effort can be on the defensive end. We could talk about how the Rockets’ defense is slightly worse with him on the floor, but Houston’s defense is terrible no matter who’s on the court. This one really comes down to the eye test, which he fails just as miserably as any statistic you could throw out there.

Watch any Rockets game and it doesn’t take long to notice how often Harden falls asleep on the defensive end. They aren’t isolated examples, they’re a regular occurrence. With all the responsibility he bears on the offensive end, Harden plays like defense is above him, routinely losing his man off the ball:

Harden is a notorious ball-watcher, and even on inbounds plays he’s prone to complete brain freezes where his man simply backdoors him for an easy layup.

You’re probably wondering, “How does he get so many steals?” Well, that same ball-watching sometimes translates into ball-hawking that leads to steals. But more often than not, Harden’s tendency to roam leads to easy baskets for Houston’s opponents, a tendency those opponents are starting to take notice of.

In transition, you can pretty much forget about Harden making a play unless he cares enough to gamble for a steal. Sometimes he’ll make a brilliant play, but more often than not, it’ll result in an easy layup against a player whose foul count is too valuable to jeopardize on broken plays.

This is not to say Harden is incapable as a defender; just that he doesn’t put forth the effort. A big part of the reason he was an MVP candidate last year was precisely because he improved his defense. Simply put, he cared. He put in the hustle and the team followed his and Howard’s lead.

This year has been a completely different story, with Harden funneling all of his effort and energy into the offensive end of the floor. When he actually tries on defense, the Rockets are a much more well-balanced team, and you can tell that his woes on that end are not due to lack of knowledge or ability.

If you think back to his days as sixth man for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden was often their go-to defender on Kobe Bryant during the playoffs. He didn’t shut Kobe down by any means, but he made him work, and just the fact that he was any team’s designated Kobe defender boggles the mind when you think about his current reputation on that end of the floor.

On the rare occasions when Harden brings the defensive effort, it’s a nice reminder that he is capable — a realization that quickly becomes damning when you watch him give up so many uncontested baskets because of laziness, ignorance or fatigue.

The defensive end isn’t the only problem people have with Harden, however. Though his high turnover rate is due in large part to his high usage, Harden’s 4.6 turnovers per game are excessive. His 373 total turnovers (with one game still remaining) set the new NBA record for most turnovers in a single season, passing Artis Gilmore‘s record of 366 from the 1977-78 season.

There are also justified concerns about his leadership qualities. Though Harden is putting up MVP-caliber numbers, he hasn’t often looked like an MVP-caliber player. His disposition, his iffy relationship with Howard, his team’s struggle to reach .500 and even his unkempt beard serve as perceived telltale signs that James Harden is not yet a leader.

Ask yourself this: Could you envision a team with James Harden as its best player winning a championship? Last year, that answer would’ve been (or should’ve been, at least) a “yes.” This year, between the defensive lapses, the Rockets crashing and burning, and the general lack of charisma he exhibits on a nightly basis, you’d probably lean closer to “no.”

NBA fans like their superstars to be an affirmative answer to that question, and when you throw in Harden’s blatantly obvious shortcomings on the defensive end, along with his perceived lack of leadership, it becomes very easy to forget the monumental aid he brings to the table on offense.

Next: The Verdict