Some accused Westbrook of stat-hunting, stealing rebounds from teammates and taking shots without much consideration for the quality of the shot or the game situation.ĮSPN's Zach Lowe wrote of Westbrook's MVP case in 2016-17: His usage and shots per game were in line with Harden's this year, though he wasn't as efficient in scoring the ball. However, some took issue with Westbrook's play that year. This month, Harden has accounted for 42% of his team's total shots, 43% of their three-point attempts, 61.7% of their free throw attempts, 50.6% of their assists, and 59% of their turnovers. In January, his usage is up to 44.6% - the next closest player this month is Joel Embiid at 33%. Harden is leading the NBA in usage% (possessions that end with a player taking a field goal attempt, free throw attempt, or turnover), and it's not even close. Depending on your view, that's either a damning reflection on Harden's teammates or on his style of play. Harden has scored 261 points in his last five games, and teammates did not assist any of them. When we say, Harden is doing something we've never seen it's because literally, no one has played basketball like this. But that alone shouldn't make him the MVP. As a result, he's putting up historic stats. As incredible as it is, is this the best basketball being played? Harden and the Rockets have warped the game to Harden's whim. It often indicates a user profile.īut there is a nagging feeling accompanying Harden's run. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. All salary information via Spotrac or RealGM. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. How the Sixers navigate them over the final month of the regular season and into the playoffs could help dictate where he ends up signing this offseason. Questions about Harden's future aren't going away. Factor in cap holds for their other free agents, and they're likely to operate as an over-the-cap team regardless of what Harden decides to do. They already have $117.1 million in guaranteed salaries on their books for next season with only seven players under contract. If Harden walks, it isn't as though they'll suddenly have nearly $47 million of salary-cap space with which to replace him. However, the alternative is far worse for the Sixers. They don't have a single pick in this year's draft-they traded their first-rounder in the deal to acquire Harden last February, and the NBA stripped their second-round pick for tampering-and they'll likely have only the $7.0 million taxpayer mid-level exception at their disposal if they do re-sign Harden. also set to become free agents this summer.Īlthough the Sixers have full Bird or Early Bird rights on all four of Milton, Niang, McDaniels and Reed, they'll be limited in their ability to add external help this offseason. Another early exit might have him questioning whether he'll ever have a realistic title shot with the Sixers, as they have a number of rotation players (Shake Milton, Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels and Paul Reed). Going on a deep playoff run and/or winning a championship could potentially entice Harden to stay. While the Sixers appear confident in their ability to re-sign him, the next few months could prove decisive either way. Harden is averaging 21.6 points and a league-high 10.7 assists per game with the Sixers this season while shooting 45.0 percent overall and a career-best 39.3 percent from three-point range. Although Harden doesn't align age-wise with Houston's young core, he could make an immediate impact as a primary playmaker and secondary scorer. Wojnarowski reported in December that the Rockets had "an appetite to make significant improvement in the standings" next season. You give yourself a better chance to win." "There’s no improvement," veteran guard Eric Gordon told reporters in late December, prior to his trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. Patience tends to wear thin without demonstrable progress, and if anything, the young Rockets appear to be backsliding this season. However, the Rockets are now in the third year of their rebuild, with no end in sight. The Rockets would arguably be better off signing players in their mid-to-late 20s who could grow alongside their young core, since Harden is likely to be on the decline by the time they're ready to compete for a title again. Age-wise, Harden is not on the same developmental curve as Green, Smith and whomever the Rockets select with their lottery pick this year.
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