Love him or hate him, you can't deny James Harden's greatness anymore
The Beard: Credit where credit is due
Dec 31, 2018, 6:36 am
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Every NBA season for the past 4 or 5 years, the Harden hate picks up steam and rolls like a barrel downhill. For James Harden, it's inescapable, no matter what he does, including winning an NBA MVP award. The critics come from out of the woodwork and spread like wildfire. Locally, nationally and on social media, everyone wants to take shots at unlucky 13. It started with his inability to play defense and continued with his selfish, ball hog mentality of an offensive style that was predicated by isolating while over dribbling. The narrative this year is that he is drawing too many fouls, taking advantage of the system, getting too many calls and taking far too many shots to get his numbers. "Scoring ugly" is now a huge negative and the number one knock on the leading scorer in the entire league. No matter what he does he can't escape the critics and the criticism, but after this current streak of torid scoring and dead eye shooting, isn't it time to start giving the man the credit he deserves?
I get it, there have been reasons in the past to criticize James and to poke holes at a player that has put up big regular season numbers and statistics since he came to H-town only to fail miserably in the playoffs. The post season shortcomings are not going away anytime soon, at least not until he takes this Houston team to places they haven't seen since the title teams of 1994 and 1995. Until the Rockets win a Western Conference title and at least compete for another championship, the number one target for the naysayers is going to be the best player on the team. To be fair, a lot of the criticism has been deserved and earned based on his past performances, like his record setting turnover game against the Warriors in the West finals a few years ago and the disappearing act against the Spurs two years ago. Undoing those knocks on "Unlucky 13" is going to take some time and will require some success that he hasn't had since he was the sixth man for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Melo experiment failed, Ariza and Luc walked and CP3 took the money and wanted to run it back, but once again his hamstrings won't let him. The losses started piling up and the critics were lining up to take their shots and write the Rockets off. Just when you thought it was safe to sink the ship, the Beard has put the team on his shoulders and carried this team right back in the thick of things in the West. James Harden has been a savior this season and all the haters better think long and hard about where their favorite team would be right now if not for the MVP and SWAG champ.
The numbers speak for themselves and the results cannot be argued. James Harden has scored 30+ points in the last nine games where he has averaged 40.6 points during the run. He has led the team to four straight victories since Paul went out with his latest hamstring injury and is putting up 42.3 since CP3 went down. His three straight 40+ point games matches Moses Malone for the longest streak in franchise history. His seventh consecutive 35+ point games is the 11th longest scoring run in NBA history and his 35+ point, 5 assist run over those same seven games ties Oscar Robertson for the longest stretch in league history. More important to Houston fans, the team has won 9 of 10, is in first place in the division and they have climbed all the way back to the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings, one half game out of the top four. Without the beard, your season would already be over and you would be looking forward to what moves could be made to right the ship for next year. Harden has been nothing short of phenomenal as he has singlehandedly brought this squad back from the depths of the dead. You can skewer the roster and go over the box scores with a fine toothed comb, it won't matter, you won't find any other factor that's even close.
Let's give the man his due and the credit he deserves people! Don't hate the player, hate the game and the rules that go with it. Are you mad at Harden or angered by the fact that at least one player has mastered the rules and made the ability to draw a foul an art form? From offensive efficiency, stat stuffing a box score every game, prolific scoring and the ability to get to the free throw line, the beard has taken his game and the league to levels we haven't seen before. Harden has matured and learned to tune out the noise and just play his game. He has even started to own the hate, embracing the criticism while continuing to do what he does on a nightly basis. He is speaking with more confidence as he gives himself props as a front runner for another MVP award while letting the world know he will not let up and plans on doing this the rest of the year. Basketball purests and NBA experts say he can't keep this up for an entire season, but who's to say he can't prove everyone wrong and keep doing what he has been doing for the first 35 games? Hopefully he won't have to as Paul will return at some point, as will members of the supporting cast that has been dinged up as well. Even if the cavalry comes to the rescue there are no signs that the Lone Ranger has any plans to ease up, slow down or stop powering forward. Houston, praise your superstar and be thankful he is wearing your team's uniform and tune out the hate of the rest of the hoop world. Haters gonna hate, Harden's gonna keep on being great.
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After riding high from a statement sweep of the Dodgers, the Astros limped into the All-Star break, having lost five of their last six games, including two of three to the rival Rangers. They still hold a five-game lead in the American League West, but the momentum they carried into July has cooled considerably.
While it’s tempting to point to the battered lineup as the reason for Houston’s recent struggles, the more pressing issue has been on the mound. For much of the season, elite pitching has masked an offense operating in the league’s bottom third. But during this six-game slide, the script flipped. Over the last seven days, Houston ranks 24th in team ERA at 5.37. The offense hasn’t been great either, 20th in runs, 22nd in OPS, 23rd in batting average, but those numbers aren’t that far off their season-long identity. The difference is that the pitching has stopped bailing them out.
The good news? Help may be (somewhat) on the way.
Astros GM Dana Brown recently provided updates on three key contributors. Shortstop Jeremy Peña isn’t expected back immediately after the break, but Brown said it shouldn’t be long before he returns from a fractured rib. Yordan Alvarez, meanwhile, is progressing well from his hand injury. According to Brown, Alvarez has “absolutely no pain” and will be re-evaluated Thursday. If cleared to swing, the Astros plan to expedite his return. Center fielder Jake Meyers, however, remains at least three weeks away as he recovers from a calf injury.
On the pitching front, expectations for late-season contributions from Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia remain uncertain. Both pitchers have thrown rehab starts recently in the Florida Complex League. Garcia has now been out for over two years following Tommy John surgery. If he’s not able to return this season, serious questions will need to be asked about his long-term outlook. Javier, also rehabbing from Tommy John, may be an option in August, but expectations should be tempered. As Brown himself has admitted, he tends to be optimistic. Fans would be wise to stay grounded.
Another arm to watch is Spencer Arrighetti. With no major injury (thumb) holding him back, Arrighetti may be Houston’s most viable rotation boost in the second half.
Fortunately, the schedule sets up favorably after the break. Over the next seven series, the Astros face four sub-.500 teams. But that doesn’t mean anything is guaranteed, especially if current trends continue.
Lance McCullers remains an enigma. When he’s locked in, he gives Houston a legitimate No. 3-caliber arm. When he’s off, he’s out of the game early and the bullpen pays the price. Manager Joe Espada faces one of his toughest managing challenges every time McCullers takes the hill.
Cam Smith has cooled off at the plate, hitless in his last 11 at-bats. He’s also been bounced all over the batting order. A simple solution? Plant him in the cleanup spot and let him adjust without the added mental shuffle.
And then there’s Josh Hader. The All-Star closer has surrendered home runs in three of his last four outings. If Houston is going to continue winning tight games with a low-margin offense, Hader has to be lights-out. His dominance alongside a top-tier setup man (Bryan Abreu) has been a pillar of the Astros’ success model this season. They need that foundation to hold.
The Astros aren’t panicking — nor should they. But after a hot run turned lukewarm, the margin for error is shrinking. The second half opens with an opportunity to bank wins and regain rhythm. Whether Houston capitalizes depends on health, consistency, and maybe a little creativity from the front office.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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