Harden Just Makes Plays
He’s already been called both the biggest steal and biggest disappointment by Thunder fans thus far in his career. If you are the 3rd overall selection in the NBA Draft, there are going to be high expectations, especially when the best player in the draft was a familiar figure in a nearby suburb. James Harden has been a prodigy ever since coming out of Southern California in high school, and then starring at Arizona State. He was the Pac-10 player of the year when he declared for the draft as a sophomore, even though it’s a weak basketball league these days.
His candidacy for the Thunder’s high pick in 2009 was questioned by many, especially with European phenom Ricky Rubio still sitting on the table. I 
called for Presti to pick with his head and not his heart. The media hype surrounding Rubio was intense at the time of the draft.
Harden was billed as the safe pick, who had excellent skills in nearly every area, but nothing mind blowing. He wasn’t really even considered a big-time scorer, a rarity for someone picked in the lottery not from Nigeria.
At this point, it appears clear, at least to me, that Presti (and do I get any credit?) knew what he was doing. All of Harden’s shooting, defensive prowess, playmaking ability, and team concept came together on Tuesday night against the Mavericks. Harden was super efficient in his 17-6-5 effort and was the clear reason why OKC was able to surge ahead of Dallas on the offensive end.
Sure, the Oklahoma City defense was stifling, but Harden’s ability to split double teams, hit open deep balls, and find teammates cutting to the basket were key in the dominating victory. Despite his subpar foot speed and less-than-ideal height, James Harden has the potential to be a super star in the league. He may never be 1st team All-NBA, but he is what championship teams are made of.
Let us not forget the Beard. It has taken on a personality of its own. The maturity and staying power of the Beard represent the development and creation of James Harden: superstar. I don’t know if Harden will choose to 
keep the beard throughout his career, because he obviously hasn’t had it forever, but he is simply playing too well right now to shave it anytime soon.
Harden has already proven to be a fantastic 3 point shooter, which is something that rookies sometimes struggle with. He and Stephen Curry are by far the best shooters amongst the rookies. The newly extended college 3 point line could have something to do with the early production of rookie shooters.
His shooting from the outside certainly sets up his ability to drive around defenders both one on one and coming off screens. Anytime a guard has the power of the shot fake over a defender, the rest of his game comes so much easier.
At this point, I don’t expect Scott Brooks to take Harden off of the bench. I really think that his minutes are all based on matchups. The emergence of super sixth men Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili make it appear viable to have an All-Star caliber player coming off the pine. When an elite swingman is lighting it up early like Caron Butler was against the Thunder, the Thabo is called upon the minimize the damage. Once OKC seized the lead, Harden was given the green light lead the offensive attack into kill mode to put the Mavs away for good.
Harden was deadly against Dallas, but he is still a rookie who has his good games along with quite a few bad ones. Luckily for the Thunder, even a bad game for James Harden includes a few steals, assists, and rebounds. Even if his shot is off, he simply helps the team win, and every team in the league would love to have him on their roster.
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