James Harden Must Improve On Defense

James Harden is one of the best two guards in the NBA, and his 2012-13 season made that fact quite clear. He’s one of the best players in the NBA with the ball in his hands, and can be a playmaker and knockdown shooter with the ability to finish on any given night. Unfortunately, his defense has been lackadaisical as of late.

In Thursday’s 99-98 loss to the the Lakers, Harden played poorly on the defensive side of the ball. This play is a great look at how bad his defense was:

Can you even call that defense? Steve Blake ran right pass him with a cut to the basket, and Harden didn't even notice or attempt to get back into the play. The Lakers won by 1 point & if Harden had played even average defense on this play, Houston might have won the game.

It’s not like James Harden can’t play defense, as he certainly has the body for it. He is a bulky 6’5 guard weighing in at a strong 220 pounds. You’d think Harden’s physical stature suggests he’s a good defensive player, right? Well, that’s not the case of course.

James Harden needs to pick up his slack soon or the Rockets will suffer. His teammates may become fed up with covering for him on defense & all that will do is cause more problems for the already abstracted Houston squad . I do believe that Harden will improve on the defensive end soon. He has weapons on offense in Dwight Howard & Chandler Parsons, so maybe they’ll step up on the offensive side of the ball & give Harden a chance to spend more energy on the defensive side of the ball. As a Rockets fan, I really hope Harden can pick it up soon. He has to play better on defense if the Rockets are serious about contending for an NBA championship.

This was a featured article I wrote for Hoops Heads. Go check them out! Also, add me on Google+ (+Anton Joe) & follow me on Twitter @antonjoe22!