The Whiteboard: Why doesn’t anyone want to play with James Harden?

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Last night, news broke that Russell Westbrook is looking for a way out of Houston. The reporting included notes about his concern about the direction of the team and desire for team accountability. The first could be related to the departure of Daryl Morey but it’s hard not to see any part of this situation as a giant finger pointing directly at James Harden.

The trade that brought Westbrook to Houston before last season was followed by plenty of hand-wringing about how these two historically ball-dominant stars would fit together. Everyone said the right things and for at least some portions of this season it ran without friction; and even when there was friction the Rockets still looked like the part of a second-tier contender.

What happened between Russell Westbrook and James Harden?

But the truth is, the accommodations mostly came from Westbrook. There were still shots and assists to be had in numbers that most players can only dream of, but he sacrificed a lot of time with the ball in hands, making offensive decisions. In 2018-19, Westbrook had the ball in his hands for 21 percent of the minutes he was on the floor. This season with the Rockets, it was just 16 percent. Harden’s percentages dropped from 25 to 23, which means even this season he still had the ball in his hands more often than Westbrook did in his last season with the Thunder.

We see a similar trend in the frequency of touches and dribbles. Westbrook’s touches and dribbles per 36 minutes declined by 24 and 16 percent, respectively. Harden’s dropped by 5 and 2 percent. Maybe the season started with empty platitudes and Westbrook wouldn’t have been happy with any sacrifice that didn’t result in a title. Or maybe he would feel differently if the percentages had been flipped or Harden had simply done more to create balance in these areas.

We don’t truly know what the source of friction is, how much individual responsibility Harden holds and what the balance is between interpersonal and on-court strategic differences. But it’s hard not to connect this situation to the friction with Chris Paul the year before, or Dwight Howard the year before that. One can’t help but wonder if there is something fundamental about Harden as a player or a person that is submarining these star partnerships.

The basic tenet of Morey’s tenure has been winning with star power, finding complements for Harden’s incredible talent. The fact that he managed three separate iterations is a testament to his creativity and willingness to take big swings. The fact that none of them have worked is … I’m not sure how to finish this sentence.

The complicating factor is that the Rockets have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference throughout this run, always realistic contenders. That they haven’t won a title is less of an indictment of their approach than the fact that they haven’t been able to just run it back and hope luck finally breaks their way. Changes have always seemed necessary, the momentum doesn’t feel natural and they can’t just let it build.

So, why doesn’t anyone want to play with James Harden? The question is a fallacy. P.J. Tucker and Robert Covington aren’t clamoring for a trade. Austin Rivers seems happy with his role and Eric Gordon has happily played out a surprisingly effective second act next to Harden. The problem is not just that Harden controls the ball, especially because Harden controlling the ball has won the Rockets a ton of games over the past few years. The problem is Harden requires a delicate fit and while the team has done an exceptional job of balancing that with the third through the 15th roster slots, they haven’t done it very well with the second.

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