One Western Conference scout says Houston Rockets superstar James Harden “is a tough guy to play with.”
Harden is one of the most ball-dominant players in the league. He led the NBA last season in usage percentage at 40.5.
“Harden is a tough guy to play with,” a West scout told Sean Deveney of Heavy. “It wears on players if they think they should be getting the ball more and there isn’t a single player in the league who doesn’t think he should be getting the ball more.
“Maybe it will all work out and when you have Westbrook and Harden both saying they’re willing to sacrifice, maybe they will. But they’re both hardheaded guys and we know Harden’s history with other players there.”
Chris Paul supposedly wanted more ball movement on offense last season, while James Harden was content with running the iso-heavy style Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni lets him play. We’ll never know if Paul and Harden really had beef, as neither star is going to admit it.
Harden says he and Russell Westbrook will figure out how to play with each other effectively this upcoming season.
Because both Harden and Westbrook are ball-dominant stars, pundits around the league have questions about whether the two MVPs will be able to coexist and lead the Rockets to a championship. Harden says he’s not worried about it because he and Westbrook have a close relationship off the court, which will help them navigate through the ups and downs of an 82-game season.
Harden has led the league in scoring the past two seasons, while Westbrook has averaged a triple-double three years in a row.
It’s not always going to be smooth, but the Rockets are confident Harden and Westbrook will find a way to make their partnership work and ultimately bring a title to Houston.
Follow Us
Subscribe