James Harden is one of the best offensive stars in the NBA. He can do whatever he wants and shoot from deep, the midrange, and up close. However, former Houston Rocket Cuttino Mobley wants to see him play more from the post.
Appearing in the popular BBALLBREAKDOWN series, the former Rockets guard talked about how Mike D'Antoni can make the most out of his star swingman by putting him in post situations.
Ben DuBoss of Rockets Wire recounted what The Cat thinks the Rockets will get by playing him more 15 feet from the rim:
“I would rather James [be] 15 feet from the basket. I think James would be amazing at that, where he doesn’t have to utilize so much energy. … He’s starting from 30 feet out. If you start from 15 and face up, the double team has to come. Or you can score on them. … Now there’s chaos.”
Mobley, who averaged 17.1 points in his six seasons with the Rockets from 1998 to 2004, understands that the season is more than just one game. Giving him more post-up plays will allow Harden to have more energy to play through the season's 82 games and put the Rockets in a better position.
Of course, not a lot of players can play on a high level through the season. Harden himself hasn't played a full season since the 2015-16 season. However, his 29.0 PPG for Houston more than makes up for his inability to play full seasons.
Moreover, he has Russell Westbrook with him in Houston. Russ should be able to take over some games and give him time to rest on the bench or the corner three spots.
However, it's still in Houston's best interest to take Mobley's input to heart.
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