Houston Rockets: The James Harden criticism is tired

Despite playing arguably his finest stretch of basketball over the last several contests, Houston Rockets star James Harden has continued to draw the ire of many fans across social media and beyond. Here’s why the criticism of the reigning MVP is tired.

Not too long ago, Houston Rockets guard James Harden was regarded by most basketball experts as one of the league’s rising young stars.

The 6’5″, 220-pound product — who once generated comparisons to Manu Ginobili — quickly became one of the game’s top performers off the bench, capturing Sixth Man of the Year honors in his third season, playing a pivotal role in helping lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals.

Now, Harden has proven that he is nothing short of the real deal, as the man who once starred behind Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant has currently helped guide Clutch City out of an early season hole.

All the while, the Beard has propelled himself back into the MVP discussion for the third consecutive season, as last year’s recipient of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy is balling so hard it might leave defamers to think they’re watching a superstar operate in a video game.

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Over the last 10 contests, Harden has averaged 40.8 points, 8.9 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game for Houston, and posted a true shooting percentage of 64.4 percent. This stretch has included four straight 40-point games and three triple-doubles, one of which was a 50-point game.

He’s also joined Stephen Curry as the only players in league history to hit at least five 3-pointers or more in seven straight games during his stellar stretch.

"“What he’s doing is incredible,” Rockets guard Austin Rivers told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon following Houston’s 113-101 win against the Memphis Grizzlies on New Year’s Eve.“Man, that’s a Kobe [Bryant] run. That’s what he’s doing. He’s doing it so effortlessly….It’s not like he’s forcing it or like he’s shooting the ball every time. I mean, it’s crazy. He’s just different, man.”"

Yet in spite of playing arguably the best basketball of his career, Harden has once again contrived the ire of many hoops fans and writers. The league’s reigning MVP has always been a polarizing figure since joining forces with Daryl Morey and Mike D’Antoni, but the criticism has ratcheted up a notch recently with Harden’s hot streak.

Despite all of Houston’s most recent success, as the antics of basketball purveyors and internet trolls has become so evident that it has recently garnered the attention of the man himself.

Sure, he’s drawing a career-high 11.1 free throw attempts per game, but he’s not doing anything illegal. Until defenses find a way to stop James Harden on offense, why wouldn’t he capitalize on the easiest way to rack up points?

The Beard is using the envy of haters as motivation to fuel even more triumphs, while his detractors seek to find whatever highlight clip or stat line that they can to berate his current MVP candidacy.

Just moments after scoring a game-high 45 points in the Rockets’ 127-113 victory against the Boston Celtics on Dec. 27, Harden stood in front of his locker to take questions, and stated the following when asked if his recent play — combined with the team’s standing — was enough to be re-inserted back into the race for the league’s highest individual honor:

"“Of course I should be in the conversation,” Harden said. “I mean, I receive a lot of hate, but it won’t stop me from going out there and killing every single night, being that dog that I am.“It’s coming back.”"

Can anyone blame him for firing back at his critics after his latest on-court exhibitions? Or for possessing such imposing confidence?

Although his style of play may not be aesthetically pleasing to every watchful eye, Harden has not allowed anything to deter his fire lately, hitting countless step-back jumpers over defenders on the way to producing numbers that have not been seen since the day that stars such as Oscar Robertson, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan graced the hardwood in their respective primes.

Last year, when Harden was the clear choice for MVP, he averaged 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game on 36.7 percent shooting from 3 (10.0 attempts per game). So far this year, he’s upped his production to 33.3 points, 8.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game on 38.7 percent shooting from deep (11.9 attempts per game).

Last year Houston won 65 games to bolster his case, but in spite of the absence of his backcourt sidekick Chris Paul, Harden and the Rockets have won 10 of their last 11 games, jumping from 14th in the Western Conference to fourth in the playoff picture.

It’s a result that might have never have come into fruition without the Beard himself, as his recent play — combined with his latest scoring outputs — has been nothing more than an 1ncredibl3 sight to witness, and the primary reason all the Harden criticism is tired.

Like it or not, the league leader in scoring’s MVP case is truly legit.