It's time to stop letting James Harden's aesthetics get in the way of understanding his value.
There is nothing elegant about James Harden -- not his game, not his style and certainly not his beard. Given that he is the league's top scorer, the star of a team fully dedicated to playing up-tempo and gunning at will from behind the arc, you might think it's actually aesthetically pleasing to watch Harden play.
You'd be wrong. What Harden does on the court is not pretty. It's ruthless and grimy, but so very effective.
Harden has all of the traditional moves of a modern slashing wing and he uses them interchangeably. In isolation, a single Harden move can be something to behold, particularly his silky Eurostep.
But more often than not, what Harden does is force the action. He forces defenders to deal with him from a disadvantaged position and forces opponents to choose from two bad options. Often, defenders choose to foul him, and no one thinks foul shots are pretty. (We can't all be Chuck Hayes.) Other times, Harden snakes by to finish a lurching, stretched-like-taffy layup.
And more often than not, those ventures to the rim rock defenders back on their heels, allowing Harden to let it fly from long-range.
Put it all together with Harden's advanced court vision and passing skills, and it makes for one beautiful stat line. You just have to go through some dark places to get there.
Harden is fully what makes Houston's offense tick. The Rockets lost Chandler Parsons in the summer and have dealt with injuries to Dwight Howard much of the season. Houston plays a shooter-heavy rotation with few off-the-dribble creators outside of Harden. The team has chosen to emphasize defense at the point guard position in part to protect Harden, who has become a much more enthusiastic defender, but still lacks a bit of ability on that end.
But this means Harden must be both the primary scorer and the primary distributor, which is a heavy burden. Whereas a point guard like Stephen Curry has a fellow point-producer next to him in Klay Thompson, Harden has more on his shoulders. Those other Rockets aren't scoring much unless they get set up well. That's on Harden. (Josh Smith's presence has helped some in that regard -- Smoove could create a shot he's comfortable taking in a crowded Tokyo train.)
More often than not, Houston's opponent knows Harden is going to attack on any given possession. But they still can't stop him.
The main problem with trying to slow down Harden is that he's relentless and you can never be sure what exactly is coming next. He has such a quick first step and is so adept at drawing fouls that he can ride you to the rim whenever he wants. He has such a good jumper that he can pull up on a dime and heave it up to solid results. He's such an attuned passer that even if you manage to stay in front of him and remain in enough control to prevent a quick pull-up, he'll find the open man that the inevitable helper has left.
Harden has dominated in the regular season for a few seasons now. The question is whether he can assert his will in the playoffs, especially in the brutal West where every round is a test. If anyone can carry a team on his back this season, it's Harden, who's already done it for half the year. And even if Houston falls short, it won't be for lack of Harden's effort, tenacity and ruthlessness on offense.
Though his game lacks beauty, it's replete with the sweet smell of success. Like the result of so many Harden-led possessions, victory for this man seems inevitable.
All illustrations in this series were done by Harrison Freeman. Click here to view his portfolio. Also see our pieces on Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson and Pau and Marc Gasol.
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