Harden’s ailing wrist could use rest with playoffs ahead for Rockets
This is not about rest. Taking advantage of the system. Abusing the privileges that come with international superstar power.
This is about sitting. Being healthy. Feeling and believing you’re 100 percent — or as close to it as humanly possible during a six-month, 82-game season — when the NBA’s legacy-defining second season kicks in and the microscope focuses even tighter.
James Harden is the Rockets.
The Rockets aren’t going anywhere in the playoffs without The Beard at his MVP best.
What’s best for the Rockets right now is Harden taking a few days off work and lightening the load on a jammed left wrist that has been bothering him since March 18 and was clearly getting worse Tuesday night against Golden State.
Did you see Harden wince in pain after sinking a late, useless 3-pointer during the Rockets’ 113-106 home loss?
That wasn’t the iron-
clanking Rockets at their best. It definitely wasn’t Harden at his, and there’s no reason he should take the court for a crosscountry back-to-back Thursday at Portland and Friday at Golden State, except for personal pride.
I respect Harden for wanting to play, lead and inspire for all 82. I love the fact he finally has gotten “it” this season, becoming the basketballfirst, team-first superstar we spent last year waiting to see.
But Harden already has proven that through the Rockets’ 74 games and his team has little left to achieve during the final eight, other than staying healthy and continuing to figure out what to do when the 3s don’t fall.
“Pretty tough, man,” Harden said Tuesday, after connecting on just 5 of 20 shots and only going 1-of-9 on 3s. “I don’t like to feel sorry for myself at all. But the shot, just short. It’s frustrating. You can’t really follow through.”
Ehh. It hurts just reading that.
Mike D’Antoni acknowledged Sunday that Harden likely will have to play through his injury as long as the Rockets are in the postseason. Harden’s wrist was heavily wrapped after the Rockets beat up on Oklahoma City on Sunday, but he only answered a rest question with a big, fat grin.
“It’s good,” said Harden, referring to a taped wrist that obviously wasn’t.
Hurt wrist needs rest
Pat Beverley then went off on pampered stars who “disgrace” the sport and its fans, and I was instantly reminded why this season’s Rockets have been so much better than last year’s.
They care. They go hard for all 48 minutes. They respect the game and were proudly predicting during the preseason what has gradually come true from October through March.
Harden is averaging a season-high 31.7 points, 11.5 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 36.7 minutes this month, while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 35 percent beyond the arc. He just won Western Conference Player of the Week honors again, so it’s not like he’s already counting his MVP votes.
But D’Antoni also acknowledged that Harden almost sat out a recent win, then confirmed postgame Tuesday that the Rockets’ only All-Star was bothered by his ailing wrist.
The West-leading Warriors have four All-Stars, have knocked the Rockets out of the playoffs the last two seasons and are about to get Kevin Durant back, just in time for what could be a third consecutive NBA Finals run. The Rockets are without Ryan Anderson for a while and are as dependent on Harden as the Thunder are on Russell Westbrook.
Only one player in the league has played more minutes than Harden (2,704) this season. When I wrote early last November that one of the Rockets’ biggest questions would be whether Harden could carry his new weight for a full 82-game load, I knew it would take all 82 to prove it.
He’s at 74 and starting to show natural signs of wear.
“I’ll rest when I’m done,” Harden said last week, after he injured his wrist.
A tough go of it
With eight games left, the Rockets are absolutely locked into the West’s No. 3 seed and home-court advantage in the first round. With Harden at 75 percent, they still would beat OKC or the always unpredictable Los Angeles Clippers.
But, right now, San Antonio awaits on the road in the second round and Kawhi Leonard has everyone from Gregg Popovich and LaMarcus Aldridge to Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili backing The Claw up. If the Rockets somehow overcome all that, they’re rewarded with flying to the city that just lost the Raiders and facing the best team in the NBA for the third consecutive year.
The Spurs and Warriors intentionally rest their stars.
Harden won’t sit for a meaningless regularseason game even when he admits he’s hurt?
That’s a true face-ofthe-franchise leader. It’s also stubborn and foolish.
Harden skipped last summer’s Olympics to rededicate himself to the Rockets. After five months of remaking his NBA name, he’s now a couple weeks away from trying to carry his team farther than he and Dwight Howard ever got.
The peak of that run saw Harden worn down in the Western Conference finals two years ago, needing more help and trying to do too much.
He has come a long way since then. He also can’t carry these Rockets with a bum wrist.
Sit out a couple games, should-be MVP. Your real test still awaits.