James Harden is one of the most exciting basketball players in the NBA, and a superstar for Houston Rockets. But as his career winds down he’s about to start making headlines for something other than sports: His deteriorating skills are reportedly an “NBA worst-kept secret.”
James Harden’s Deteriorating Skill Is Reportedly the NBA’s ‘Worst Kept’ Secret. The Houston Rockets shooting guard has been a top-tier player for years, but now his skills are reportedly deteriorating and he is the league’s “worst kept” secret. Read more in detail here: who does james harden play for.
James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers isn’t the same player he was a couple years ago. Sure, The Beard is still a gifted guard who understands how to create havoc for rival teams, but he’s no longer the dominating scorer he once was with the Houston Rockets.
So, what’s different now?
His age.
Father Time has taken its toll on the 32-year-old. And his declining ability, which made him one of the most dominating NBA players of all time, is said to be “one of the league’s worst hidden secrets.”
On the Rockets, James Harden is no longer the dominating scorer he once was.
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During his time with the Rockets, James Harden was unstoppable.
In five consecutive seasons, he averaged at least 29.0 points per game and won three straight scoring championships. Harden, who has hit more free throws and three-pointers than anybody in history, averaged 36.1 points per game in 2018-19 and 34.3 points per game in 2019-20.
However, in the previous two seasons, his stats have dropped dramatically.
It’s possible that some of this has to do with the players on his new clubs. When he’s on the floor with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, or when he teams up with Joel Embiid, he’s not going to score as much. However, this shouldn’t result in such a big drop-off.
Harden is averaging just 22.6 points per night this season, down from nearly 34.0 points per night only two seasons ago. He’s shooting 41.6 percent from the field, which is his second-lowest mark in his career. And he’s hitting 33.7 percent of his three-point attempts, which is a career low.
So, what has had such a significant influence on his attacking abilities? His athleticism is diminishing.
The NBA’s ‘worst hidden’ secret is James Harden’s diminishing ability.
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Because he can no longer blast past his opponents like he did in his 20s, James Harden isn’t scoring at the same pace as he used to.
His “blow-by percentage” has dropped from the 89th percentile to the 58th percentile, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
On the March 29 edition of Get Up, Windhorst noted, “This is one of the worst kept secrets in the league, that his first step isn’t the same.” “… He’s dropped from super-elite to middle-of-the-pack. He’s still a skilled player who gets to the foul line ten times every game. However, as you can see in the video, they sat on his left side. Harden is going to struggle against a solid team with a sound defensive system right now.”
“It’s a mystery if his hamstring injury from a year ago is causing this, or if it’s conditioning, or if it’s a little bit of both,” he said.
Beard should play less iso-ball.
On March 20, 2022, James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers plays against the Toronto Raptors. | Getty Images/Mitchell Leff
What can James Harden do to hide some of his lost agility if he wants to win a championship alongside Joel Embiid and the 76ers this season?
He has the ability to play in attacking formations.
Throughout his career, Harden has been one of the best iso players in the NBA. His teams would just hand him the ball at the top of the key and walk away. In fact, he continues to lead the NBA in isolations this season (35.6 percent in Philly and 31.8 percent in Brooklyn).
Ball movement, on the other hand, wins games, particularly in the playoffs when defensive intensity rises.
Harden’s Rockets lead the NBA in isolation frequency rate (19.4%) during the 2017-18 playoffs. The NBA champion Golden State Warriors had a frequency of just 11.4 percent.
Harden, whose brilliance has been called into doubt in recent seasons, is still a valuable player. He can go to the free-throw line and is an excellent playmaker (10.1 assists per game this season). Isolation plays, on the other hand, were not a winning formula when he was at his best; why should they be now? It’s more crucial than ever for him to be able to move the ball inside an offense and find ways to score without having it in his hands.
James Harden’s game must be adjusted to his present skill level. His ability to adapt might be the difference between earning a title and going ringless.
Basketball Reference and NBA.com provided the statistics.
RELATED: The 76ers Should Have Buyer’s Remorse After James Harden’s Concerning Trend
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