Harden is a supertalented driver and a fantasic shooter as well.
The problem is that we live in this curious time where flailing your arms and yanking your head back in an attempt to deceive the officials is not only not technical foul, but it is actually rewarded. It's embarrassing for him, for the Rockets, and the league. It works, but it's kind of a sell your soul to win sort of thing (e.g. Chris Paul), and the Rockets aren't even winning any more.
A second problem is that even though he has demonstrated the ability to play defense when he wants to, the truth is that he never does - it's ridiculously bad. Presumably, it's because he puts in so much effort on the offensive end, but it's definitely another embarrassing aspect to his play.
Finally, he doesn't seem to be able to integrate himself into offensive schemes. It's him 1-1 or he's not helping much. Dwight was up front about this when Parsons left: "James and I will handle the offense (we don't need Parsons or the rest of the team)".
Players who don't play defense, don't integrate into the offense, and incessantly flail are not great leaders, either.
It would be interesting to see him play for a team in which he wasn't the 1st and maybe only banana. He's not joining the blazers or the celtics, but if he did, I'd like to think he'd be cured of many of these deficiencies, and he'd be recognized for the great player he is. Until then, I and many NBA fans reflectively give a bitter beer fan when thinking about Harden.
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That all being said (and OT btw), I think you're right!!! The zillion GS illegal picks, the headcaseness of Draymon, the disrespect and even disdain shown by Klay, the I-won-COY-when-coaching<half-season-even-though-no-player-would-win-MVP-for-playing-half-a-season Kerr, and the media suckling their jock straps will definitely have basically everyone here boiling mad by the end of the second game.
Well here is the problem, you are pretty much the first person to give Harden any credit for having any skill.
Also it's not that Harden can't play defense, it's that his focus on defense lacks. Usually at the end of games he puts a lot more effort in playing defense. You know how I know this is true? The whole idea of him not giving effort on Defense is because he actually can lock in and play. While it is true that Harden plays more minutes than any other NBA player (Talk about being lazy) for me and many other Rocket fans it's hard to blame Harden on defense when the team as a whole fails on defense.
As a Rocket fan that watched a JVG coached team I can tell you with full confidence, team defense starts with the coach. If your coach is dumb enough for example to have Beverly guarding Livingston or have Harden guarding PFs in the post then your defense is likely going to be pretty bad.
I know how to settle this, lets see who scores more points in the next round of the playoffs, my money is on Lillard.
Oh I know, I'll use this excuse that people are using for Harden's team success. "Lillard plays on a better team." you'll probably say "Yeah that's because of Lillard." and I'll tell you that Harden's deep playoff runs are also because of Harden.
I already addressed this. Harden has been on more successful teams because he's been in the league longer and had better teammates. Please stop repeating this non-point. It's been addressed by multiple people multiple times.
At least Lillard puts forth effort on the defensive end, and he's improving. Harden actually tried to play a little defense last year and it helped his team tremendously. This year he was back to his indifferent self on the defensive end and the results speak for themselves. When Harden puts in a enough effort to be below average on defense, it helps his team a LOT. When he doesn't even try, it hurts his team and it hurts team morale. When your best player doesn't even try to play defense it's contagious. When he gives up, everybody else gives up, too. That's why he's a shitty teammate and a piss poor leader. In spite of Lillard's shortcomings on defense, he never gives up. He pays hard on every possession at both ends of the court. That inspires his teammates. He is the anti-Harden in this respect.
Aesthetically pleasing is a subjective term. What you find aesthetically pleasing and what I find aesthetically pleasing may be totally different, and from your question it appears they are. Based on your question, you seem to think aesthetically pleasing means flashy and style over substance. Not to me. To me, Tim Duncan has one of the most aesthetically pleasing games in the entire history of the NBA. His game is pure. It relies on skill, effort and intelligence, not freakish athletic ability. That's why he's had such a long successful career. His game didn't abandon him when he got older and he STILL plays some of the best defense in the league. You'll see Blake Griffin and his high flying dunks a lot more on Sports Center than Tim Duncan hitting a turnaround and playing good position defense, but there are reasons why Duncan has 5 rings and Griffin 0. Even this year, at 40 years old. Tim Duncan led the entire NBA in Defensive Box Plus/Minus. That may not be a sexy, flashy stat, but I find it, and the results, aesthetically sublime. Feel free to disagree, but anyone who finds James Harden's game pleasing to watch in any any way probably finds Tim Duncan as boring as dirt. Tim Duncan will play more defense in the first two minutes of today's game than James Harden did in the entire GSW series. That's why I love Tim Duncan's game and hate James Harden's. It's also a very big reason why Tim Duncan is still playing and James Harden has the summer off. Time to hit the strip clubs and keep up with the Kardashians.
BNM
The same teammates he has this year? Wait, I've been told the Rockets were a horrible team and now suddenly they are a good team and I guess he just ruined it? Harden is one year older than Lillard, and that doesn't take away from his accomplishments.
Harden gets his team to the WCF just one year ago and apparently that means absolutely nothing at all. Harden was a huge reason the Thunder made it to the finals, you'll say he wasn't the main option but you and others also say that he can't play on a team or be a team player...yet he did and found team success. For such a bad team player his teams (other than this ONE year) have had plenty of team success. Can you explain that?
As to the rest of your post the other poster said what I meant. Aesthetically pleasing doesn't mean much no matter what it means to either of us. I'm an Astros fan and they are about as aesthetically pleasing a baseball team you can find. They go out and swing for the fences, have aggressive base runners, have a bunch of exciting young players and try to crush teams with hitting but they lost to a team who understood the basic principle of getting men on base and driving in runs by any means necessary. As an Astro fan as example it is frustrating as heck to have bases loaded and some player like Gomez come up to the plate and swing for the fences.
I don't know what you think is aesthetically pleasing, but it's no secret that the Spurs have a rep for being "Boring" to casual fans and mostly because of Duncan. In the end it doesn't matter, results matter. I don't think Duncan is boring either, I respect all great players and that includes Duncan. That includes Dame. Some of them are more exciting to watch. You don't find Harden exciting, I personally do. He's been one of the best 4th quarter players in the league (the '15 season the Rockets thrived on winning late games) and for me it's exciting to see him cross over players, step back, throw bounce passes, and lead the fast break. TO ME he's more exciting than Klay because Klay is an off-ball shooter player. These players are highly effective but not as exciting for me.
EDIT: For me a player that attacks the rim are the more exciting to me. I'd rather watch Westbrook and Wade than Curry, doesn't mean Curry is lesser than them. He isn't.
That's just me, that's just what I like to see. I don't then say that because Curry is less exciting of a player or aesthetically pleasing that anything he's accomplished is null and void. That he isn't a great player.
Players like Harden are. His game reminds me of Paul Pierce in that way, it's very methodical and it's all about exploiting angles and getting his man going back. To me Paul Pierce is more exciting to watch than Ray Allen, it doesn't make Allen less of a player. It just doesn't matter at all. What matters is results right? Harden gets results and produces.
Wow... Just Wow...
Guys... We don't sound like this.... I think most of us analyze our team and logically assess its deficiencies. Then prescribe our own fix for said deficiencies.
This guy is just outta his mind...
C'mon now... You should at the VERY LEAST agree that Harden is a flopper... But no... You double down and defend his flopping like Portland Oregon doesn't know basketball. Nah bruh... You're fuckin' with the High IQ crowd here. And no amount of spin is gonna take the paper Burger King crown off of his head.
Houston, TX, Home of "The Flopper".
I just don't think being aggressive and attacking the rim is flopping. You must understand though I don't even care about Chris Paul flopping and some of this other stuff. Problem is NBA refs are stupid. They have issues. I'd tell your team to start learning how to flop on screens or else they are not going to call them. Mark my words.
Many...MANY players sell contact going to the rim. The most common thing to do is to yell and shout like you've been hit.
The funny thing about Harden is he apparently learned a lot about drawing fouls from Durant. Another guy that goes to the line a ton. I think Harden capitalizes on it though because he really is a tank and probably the strongest SG in the NBA.
