Given the out-of-season trade request that has yet to be fulfilled, Houston Rockets Superstar James Harden is under the microscope of fans this season. Over his last three games, Harden has scored just 17 points per game (28.0% on three points), well below the norm for the NBA’s three-time defending champion.
This has left many doubting whether Harden is fully committed to the team, including Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy, in a ‘hot microphone’ moment in the team’s television program after the game after Wednesday’s loss in Indiana.
But there are some mitigating circumstances. For starters, Harden came off a sprained ankle that forced him to miss last Saturday’s game. Secondly, it is quite plausible that he is merely in a cold shooting range, which is far from unprecedented. In January 2020, for example, Harden went through nine games in which he shot 24.8 points per game at 34.1% and scored 23.1% from the three-point series. It’s possible that Harden’s shooting attack was just down, perhaps related to injuries, and fans are reading more about it than they normally would on the basis of the outline storylines.
One of the arguments in favor of Harden’s commitment may be that he has his high assistance totals. In the rough stretch of January 2020, which also took place over a much longer period of nine games, Harden averaged just 5.7 assists. In his last three games, however, Harden led the Rockets as a facilitator with 11.7 assists per game – including a team-high 13 cents in Friday’s 132-90 game (goal kick) over the visiting Orlando Magic.
When Houston head coach Stephen Silas was asked after the game about various criticisms of Harden’s effort, he said he disagreed.
“James’ level of effort was amazing,” Silas said. “He did everything I needed to do. I do not really have an answer to someone who says he does not play hard because that is not what I see. ‘
“He played on the ball, off the ball,” Silas continued. “He played defense. … This is not what I see of him or the group. ‘
The time will come when the Rockets (3-4) need Harden to do more than goal-scoring, perhaps in their next two games on Sunday and Tuesday against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and defending NBA champion, Los Angeles Lakers. But on Friday, the Rockets achieved a quick victory with Harden primarily as leader and facilitator – and they are convinced he is mentally in the right place for the team.