Ike Reese calls James Harden’s style of play conducive but icky (Exclusive)

While James Harden has been one of the top players of his generation, critics have never been shy about his game. Mainly about how his offensive style isn't good for the sport.

During his time with the Houston Rockets, Harden was the focal point of the offense. Everything went through him, and it resulted in him amassing big counting stats and an MVP trophy in 2017-18.

The reason why critics came after James Harden was because of how isolation-centric his style is. He built a reputation of dribbling the air out of the ball before hitting a step-back 3-pointer or getting to the free-throw line.

While on Sportskeeda's "Ballfather" podcast, former Philadelphia Eagle Ike Reese talked about the 76ers star. He said the All-Star guard is playing well, but he's never been a fan of Harden's game.

"I'm in a quandary with James Harden. ... It is nothing personal. It's just his style, his play," Reese said. "That is not appeasing to me. It's not appeasing or appealing to my eye.

"But I'm gonna give him his props. I'm gonna give him his props. He's playing very good basketball, and he's playing better. He's playing better than I thought he had left in him to play. So, he he's embraced the role of being a facilitator first."

James Harden adapted his game over time

When discussing elite talents, how their game ages is a common topic. The truly great talents find a way to be impactful even when their prime is over.

Everyone knows that James Harden, who is 33 and in his 14th season, isn't the player he used to be. That being said, he deserves credit for how he's managed to adapt to still be impactful on a nightly basis.

Since he left the Houston Rockets, Harden has embraced being a facilitator first instead of a scorer. Because of this, he's managed to co-exist much better with star talent.

Because of his elite-level IQ and passing, Harden has been a huge addition for the Philadelphia 76ers. Alongside Joel Embiid, the pair are arguably the deadliest pick-and-roll combination in the league. On top of that, Harden's passing has done wonders for players like Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris.

While some might not have liked how Harden played in the past, they should give him credit now. Instead of trying to force scoring, he's opted to elevate those around him. At this stage of his career, he's a high-impact floor general who can still score in bunches when the moment calls for it.

We saw this on full display in the 76ers' nationally-televised win over the Brooklyn Nets. When Philly needed scoring late, Harden was able to open the floor and knock down multiple 3-pointers with the stepback that he made famous.