DeMarcus Cousins Goes to Bat for Rockets' Legend James Harden

James Harden's time with the Houston Rockets was marked by widespread criticism of his heliocentric playing style, which involved dominating ball possession as a result of former coach Mike D'Antoni's offensive system. Despite leading the league in total assists, his high usage rate—often around 30% and peaking at over 40% in one season—drew complaints from skeptics who labeled him a "ball hog," with Charles Barkley famously dubbing him "The Dribbler" for his repetitive dribbling.

However, Harden's approach yielded significant team success, as the Rockets consistently ranked among the top-10 offenses, including the best in the 2017-18 season and second-best the following year. He won the MVP award in 2017-18 and was a finalist in four other seasons, establishing himself as one of the NBA's premier isolation scorers. Despite this, basketball observers, including Kobe Bryant, questioned the sustainability of his style for championship success, particularly his reliance on drawing fouls.

The discussion extended to comparisons with Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, who shares a similar heliocentric playing style but has faced less scrutiny according to former Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins highlighted the inconsistency in criticism, noting that while Harden's style was widely deemed unsuitable for championships, Doncic's similar approach has not attracted the same level of backlash, raising questions about double standards in NBA commentary.

Additionally, Cousins referenced his brief time playing with Harden in Houston, where Harden's trade request and perceived belligerent behavior led to public criticism from Cousins, who called it disrespectful. The Rockets are now focusing on their next game against the Detroit Pistons, aiming to recover from a double-overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the season opener.