James Harden teaching defense…….. #rockets pic.twitter.com/JXGpnsHwCA
— JRSportBrief (@JRSportBrief) February 12, 2016
To put it kindly, James Harden is not exactly known for his defensive prowess. The Houston Rockets superstar is one of the most dynamic scorers in the league, but on the other end…he leaves a lot to be desired.
Harden’s ability on defense isn’t great, but it’s often times a lack of engagement by the four-time All-Star that garners the most criticism. Even this year when Houston is struggling to meet expectations, Harden has been caught napping several times leading to easy scores for his opponents.
All of which is to say that if you’re going to have James Harden teach young kids the fundamentals of how to play basketball, maybe have him coach the shooting or ball handling stations.
When he was brought in during NBA All-Star weekend to help out youngsters, some genius put The Beard on defense during a drill. Nothing if not consistent, Harden didn’t exactly put the best effort into his defensive positioning.
Obviously, legitimately bashing Harden for this is not at all fair, and any and all jokes should be made in good fun. After all, it looks more like the drill was aimed at helping the kids learn crossovers and aid with their dribbling more than it was for defense. Still, when you’re James Harden, you have to know that your reputation precedes you.
He could have at the very least bent his knees a little bit. You know, just for show.
(Via JRSportBrief)
