Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13). (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
James Harden had pretty successful individual season last year, averaging career bests in points (29.1), rebounds (8.5) and assists (11.2) while moving to the point guard position for the Houston Rockets.
With the five-time NBA All-Star expected to slide back to the shooting guard position due to the arrival of Chris Paul, former Rockets head coach Kevin McHale questioned the crafty lefty’s leadership.
“But James is not a leader,” the Boston Celtics legend said in an appearance on NBA TV. “He tried being a leader last year, tried doing that stuff. I think Chris Paul is going to help him just kind of get back into just being able to hoop and play and stuff like that.”
The #OpenCourt guys discuss if @CP3’s arrival will benefit @JHarden13 and the @HoustonRockets. pic.twitter.com/hT2bibHrpS
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 6, 2017
McHale, who mentored Harden for three and a half seasons, said his teammates had a hard time listening to the bearded guard due to his deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor.
“Look, if James tells you, ‘Chuck, you got to play better D.’ You listening to him? You got to be kidding me. I lived through it, believe me,” the coach-turned-analyst said. “Everybody in the locker room did this [hand on forehead]. Every time he mentioned defense, everybody would put their head down, like you got to be kidding me.”
Still, McHale lauded his former player as “fantastic with the ball and a “great passer.”
“The guy’s got phenomenal vision. Talk about vision, James can see all the passes and do everything,” he shared. Khristian Ibarrola /ra