James Harden Is Now That Old Guy At The Y...
Full disclosure: I’ve never really been a fan of Harden’s since he left OKC. I loved his game at both Arizona State and, when he got stuck in that limited role, in OKC. I even remember the good ole days at ASU when he was praised as a good defensive player. It seemed a mystery how and why OKC failed to find a way to keep him and accommodate his talents. Money was supposedly a huge part of the consideration and situation, but it is tough to imagine that OKC could not have figured out a way to pay Durant and Westbrook and Harden. Or if I really, really had to choose, I’d have jettisoned Westbrook… if I ruled the world.
Oh well, that’s really ancient history.
When Harden went to Houston, he eventually morphed into a caricature of his best self, while admittedly putting up big numbers. But he ultimately failed when it counted most. And the matador defense and Oscar-level foul-call-baiting was way too much too much for me, so I actively avoided watching Houston/Harden games unless it was playoff time.
This information - a bit of history that is a bit more recent - is disclosed to acknowledge that I am definitely not predisposed to giving Harden the benefit of the doubt. Or paying a lot of attention to him. I had not watched many Nets games this year, for the reasons noted above. I still don’t like Harden’s game, even though he has toned down some of the worst excesses, to a large degree because of rules changes. At least as far as his offensive game is concerned. But, the recent drama in Brooklyn has, like a 16-car freeway wreck, drawn me back to Big James. I’ve been listening to a few Nets'-focused podcasts recently and caught wind of his recent performance in Sacramento, where Harden scored 4 points in 37 minutes of play. A couple of observers compared his recent play to his ignominious last days in Houston, where he basically tanked his way out of town.
Hmmm…what might that look like? So I pulled the game out of the League Pass library to satisfy my morbid curiosity.
Harden looked like the smart old guy at the gym who used to be really good, but is a bit addled and overweight and unable to do the things he did back in the day. Most times, he walked up and down the court and did nothing more strenuous than jog, briskly, a couple of times. In the half court, both offensively and defensively, he stood, stationary, if he did not have the ball in his hands, or he would shuffle to and fro, like a retiree navigating around the court with a rolling walker.
He probably could have jumped into his street clothes after the game, sans shower, and comfortably spent a few hours at the club, without worrying about the funk. He may not have broken a sweat the entire game.
That has been, so far, the last image of Harden in a Nets’ uniform. Who knows if it will be the last, but it is a far cry from the smart, dominant creator/scorer who terrified defenders at Arizona State and OKC and Houston. Obviously, the possibility exists that Harden is simply using the same tactics he used to get out of Houston. And it is very possible that desire - to be moved to another team - accounts for much of, if not all of, his energy deficit. But this version of Harden sure looks a lot like last year’s playoff version of Harden, after the hamstring problem. Jogging, walking, sliding, shuffling, but very few occasions where he showed anything like the little burst and shiftiness he had when he was able to use his size and quickness and strength and dribble to get into the lane, pretty much at will.
The old guy at the YMCA can dominate pick up games, with smarts, guile, deft passing and a sweet shooting touch while moving at 33 rpms in a 45 rpm world. If Harden has devolved into that guy at the Y - or something similar to it - how dumb and desperate is Philly if they give up assets like Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey and draft choices to obtain him, and then be cornered into signing him to a max extension to justify getting him? Harden’s shtick might work at the local pick up game, but how’s it going to work in a second round NBA playoff series?