Going all the way back to his college days at Arizona State, James Harden has always shown he is a pure scorer of the basketball. His willingness to throw his body around in the paint and use his agility to get shots off has been remarkable. The Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him third overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, right behind Hasheem Thabeet to the Memphis Grizzlies. Oops.
During his three years with the Thunder, Harden went from a sixth man to a perennial starter, and helped them reach the NBA Finals, losing to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. But it was his time in Houston with the Rockets where James Harden truly became an all-world player.
Harden spent a little over eight seasons with the Rockets, culminating in him winning NBA MVP in 2018. But in recent years, there has been a precipitous drop off in Harden's production. He was traded from Houston to Brooklyn during the 2020-2021 season. A year later, he was traded once again from Brooklyn to the Philadelphia 76ers. But if you have watched him play in either Brooklyn or Philadelphia, you will notice that he is not close to the same player that won the league MVP just a few years ago.
But there were some very clear signs along the way that should have clued general managers in. Here are the 4 signs that we are watching the demise of James Harden right in front of our eyes.
4 Signs That We Are Watching the Demise of James Harden in Front of Our Eyes
1. Style of Play Not Conducive to Remaining Productive
There is little doubt that James Harden is one of the best pure scorers we have seen at least in the 21st century. He could shoot, he could take you off the dribble and finish around the basket, he could knock down his free throws; he was a natural scorer.
However, because of his style of play, along with his usage rate that comes along with that, it should have been obvious to both the Nets and Sixers general managers that his game was not going to age well. Houston got every last drop out of him and it shows in his production. Below is a very popular sentiment online and among analysts.
Harden has reportedly asked for a $200 million extension. But for anyone watching him play these days, you immediately know that he is no longer a max player. He is the fourth leading scorer on the Sixers thus far in the post season. He struggles to get past almost any defender off the dribble now. He is a step slow and that should not be surprising to anyone.
2. Rule Changes in NBA
James Harden has always been an expect at drawing contact and getting to the free throw line. He uses his body very well when he gets into the paint, forcing defenders to make contact with him. For years, that drew foul calls and Harden would make hay at the charity stripe.
But during the offseason last year, NBA officials were instructed not to make foul calls when offensive players made unnatural movements that created contact, as Yahoo Sports' Ajayi Browne noted.
From 2014 through the end of the 2020 season, Harden averaged between 10.2 and 11.8 free throw attempts per game. This season, Harden 8.2 free throws per game. Fans have long been complaining about Harden getting to the line too often. But even elite NBA players like Jimmy Butler have chimed in.
3. Production in steep decline
Yes, a good amount of Harden's production came from the free throw line. But you would be a fool to think that's where the majority of it came from.
James Harden's stepback three-pointer was one of the more productive moves in the NBA for years. But even that has gone by the way side in recent seasons. His three-point attempts and percentage are all down. He doesn't appear to have the legs to create the same types of shots he once did.
4. Willingness and Desire Not There
James Harden has obviously had a very successful career. He has won the scoring title three times, won an NBA MVP and been considered one of the best players in the league for the better part of a decade. The only thing missing from his resume is a championship. You would think that playing in Philadelphia this year would have energized Harden.
He joined a team that was among the best in the NBA all season. Teammate Joel Embiid is one of the front-runners for league MVP, so that takes some pressure off. He doesn't need to handle the ball all game any longer. Yet, he does not seem to have the willingness to even engage at times.
Since joining Philadelphia, he has played in 29 games. Guess how many times he attempted 20 shots. I will give you a minute to think about it and take a guess.
The answer, zero. He is yet to even attempt 20 shots in a single game with Philadelphia. He averaged 25 shots per game just a couple seasons ago. For those who say, well now he has Embiid there so he isn't needed as much. That argument could have held water until this second round playoff series against the Miami Heat.
Embiid has missed both games so far. The Sixers are desperately in need of scoring without Embiid. Harden has taken 28 shots total between both games, hitting just 11 of them.
So, the talent, desire and willingness to be great do not appear to be there any longer. There were obvious signs that were clearly overlooked in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, with the latter now paying that price.