Given the off-season trade request still unfulfilled, Houston Rockets superstar James Harden is under the scrutiny of fans this season. Over his last three games, Harden averaged just 17 points per game (28.0% on 3-pointers), which is well below the norm for the NBA’s three-time defensive scoring champion.
That has led many to question whether Harden is fully committed to the team, including Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy in a “hot mic” moment on the team’s post-game television show following Wednesday’s loss in Indiana.
But there are some extenuating circumstances. To begin with, Harden comes out of a sprained ankle that forced him to miss last Saturday’s game. Second, it’s pretty likely he’s just in a cold shooting, which is far from unprecedented. For example, in January 2020, Harden played nine games in which he scored 24.8 points per game on 34.1% shooting and 23.1% from a 3-point range. It’s possible that Harden’s shooting touch is just off, perhaps related to an injury, and fans are reading into it more than they normally would based on the off-season storylines.
An argument in favor of Harden’s dedication could be his lofty assistant totals. In that rough January 2020 trajectory, which also took place over a much longer nine-game period, 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 dimes in Friday’s 132-90 rout (box score) during the visiting Orlando Magic.
When asked about various criticisms of Harden’s efforts after the game, Houston head coach Stephen Silas said he disagreed.
“James’ effort was great,” said Silas after the game. “He did everything I needed him to do. I don’t really have a reaction when someone says they’re not playing hard because that’s not what I’m seeing. “
“He played the ball, off the ball,” Silas continued. He played defensively. … That’s not what I see of him or the group. “
The time will come when the Rockets (3-4) will need Harden to do more as a goalscorer, perhaps in their next two games on Sunday and Tuesday against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the defending NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers. But on Friday, the Rockets took a huge win with Harden primarily as a leader and facilitator – and they are confident he is mentally in the right place for the team.