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James Harden’s passing ability has often been compared to that of arguably the best playmaker ever, the legendary Magic Johnson. Over the last two seasons, since leaving the Houston Rockets, “The Beard” has mostly concentrated on orchestrating plays rather than scoring.
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers wants Harden not to shy away from scoring opportunities, particularly when Joel Embiid gets overloaded on defense.
Rivers, on "NBA Today," explained what he told the former MVP about his role next season (via RB):
“We've talked so much about him being a facilitator. We've been starting to show off talking, but I need him to be James Harden, too. You know, if I had to combine, I would say a scoring Magic Johnson, that's what I want him to be. I don't want him to think that he's just on the team.
“I want him to be James Harden, but in that, I want him to also be the facilitator of this basketball team, too. So in a lot of ways, his role is growing bigger for our team and I just went in to keep thinking, do both.”
Over the last two seasons, James Harden has played alongside a few of the most gifted scorers in the NBA, including Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid. He has deferred more to them, which is why his scoring has dipped while his assists have gone up.
At times, however, he has become a little too passive for Doc Rivers, who has now implored the stepback maestro to score more.
Harden’s lack of aggression was evident in the playoffs against the Miami Heat last season. Joel Embiid missed the first two games due to various injuries. Without Philly’s top-scoring threat, many expected “The Beard” to take up the scoring cudgel and become "Rocket Harden."
Instead, he was incredibly and frustratingly passive, which was a big reason why the 76ers had no chance against the Heat.
The seven-time All-Star played 35 minutes in Game 1 and ended with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Game 2 was more of the same as he was on the floor for 41 minutes and finished with 20 points, four rebounds and nine assists.
Doc Rivers knows Philadelphia can’t be considered serious title contenders if they get the same version of Harden next season.
James Harden in tiptop shape could return to MVP form
Endless rumors suggested that it wasn’t just out of respect and deference that saw James Harden's scoring numbers decline. Many ripped the former MVP for playing out of shape, causing him to look like a washed-up version of the 2017-18 MVP.
The rumors might have been true, as Harden proudly declared during the Philadelphia 76ers’ Media Day that he lost 100 lbs. He may have just been trolling the media with that claim, but it was evident that “The Beard” has had enough of the talks against him.
He added during the team’s media day via the Philadelphia Inquirer:
"Just the last year and a half, I wasn't healthy enough to put the proper work in, like I'm used to," he said. "This summer was huge for me in that aspect."
An in-form Harden could be just what Rivers envisioned the superstar to become next season. He could display his scoring prowess with a touch of Magic Johnson’s playmaking wizardry.
