Shaq criticizes James Harden, says he ain't no leader
Houston Rockets superstar James Harden has been the subject of criticisms and memes online at the start of the playoffs, thanks to several occasions in their first-round encounter with the Golden State Warriors where he was seen playing defense as if nothing is at stake. Of the many who called him out for not playing D, it's Shaquille O'Neal who came up with a rather serious accusation – that Harden lacks leadership.
During the TNT Game 2 Halftime show of the Warriors-Rockets series, Shaq, who happens to be a commentator for the network, talked about Harden without holding anything back. "The problem with James Harden is he has no leadership skills," he said. "I know for a fact as the main player, when you come to play, others will follow," O'Neal added, while also telling viewers that as a leader of a team, Harden is supposed to do everything since others are looking up to him.
For the Rockets to have even the slimmest chance of grabbing a win in the series, Harden will have to play a lot better defense. However, that's easier said than done for a player who thrives and makes money by taking shots and scoring points. Houston got him for that in the first place, hoping that pairing him with defensive-minded center Dwight Howard would work wonders for a team that reached the conference finals last year.
In Game 1, Harden and the rest of the team came out flat after putting a Herculean effort to get to the playoffs. The shooting guard in particular did not attempt a single free throw, something that's quite unusual for him. And although he went to the line and made 13 points from free throws, his team still lost to the Warriors in Game 2 without superstar Steph Curry playing due to a sprained ankle.
As the series goes to Houston, we do wonder if Harden will pull off some surprises defensively. It's highly unlikely, though.
