Golden State Warriors rumors: 3 reasons not to trade for James Harden

3. James Harden is a bad fit for this offense

For a handful of players in the league, their presence in an offense changes everything to fit their style of play. That is often a positive thing, but it’s a reality. Any offense with James Harden involved molds itself to his isolation-heavy ways. To join the Golden State Warriors would mean a collision of offensive styles.

Head coach Steve Kerr has been a part of some of the best offenses in NBA history, from winning three titles in Phil Jackson’s Triangle system to running the front office for the Steve Nash Phoenix Suns. His brand of offense moves the ball and moves without the ball. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry gets down in the muck and sets screens to spring open looks for teammates. It stretches for selfless offensive perfection.

Anyone who has watched Harden in a Houston Rockets uniform has seen brilliant ball-handling, crafty foul-drawing, on-time passes and elite shot-making. They have also not seen off-ball movement from “The Beard” and certainly not screen-setting. If Curry has the ball up top, or Draymond at the elbow, the historic Harden will simply stand and watch.

That won’t fly in Kerr’s offense, and it won’t be accepted by the entrenched stars on this team. Harden can dictate things on a team revolving around him, but this team wouldn’t. Curry and even Draymond can claim a similar level of stardom to Harden. They won’t simply acquiesce to him.

Could Harden adjust his play style to maximize what the Warriors are already running? In theory, his shooting and ball-handling could be an elite addition to this team and make them one of the best offenses in the league, if not the best. Yet even when paired with other All-NBA guards, Harden either pounded the ball himself or stood by and watched Chris Paul or Russell Westbrook do their thing. Harden could change, but he has given no evidence that he would.