James Harden has tired legs, and Rockets coach Kevin McHale got fired for it -- when its more likely to be Khloe Kardashian's fault.
Houston let its fifth-year coach go after its 4-7 start, with much of the Rockets' early struggles being tied to the slow start by Harden, their superstar guard.
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Harden is making more mistakes offensively and his defense has regressed back toward the reputation he had as a liability, according to SI.com. The reason for that could be that he seems to lack the explosiveness he had in 2014-15 when he was the runner-up for NBA Most Valuable Player.
" ... [H]e does seem to lack the burst, which usually makes him such a tough cover off the dribble," SI.com reported. "Perhaps the increased foul drawing is a result of Harden not being able to create clean separation as much. Watching some of last year's highlights in comparison, it's hard to remember many plays from this season where Harden undressed his defender with a series a quick dribble moves and an explosive first step.
"Certainly, his jump shot has often looked like a player operating without the normal amount of lift. After hitting 40.5% of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers last year, Harden is down to 35.7% this year, essentially the same mark he hit on pull-up threes last year. On those same off-the-dribble attempts, Harden is a putrid 12-of-61 (19.7%!) from beyond the arc.
"Perhaps the most telling stat regarding Harden possibly not having his legs under him is that he has only one dunk on the season. While not a player known for detonating finishes at the rim, over the course of his career Harden has managed to throw one down every three to four games on average."
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Lacking a report of any injury to the Rockets guard, a logical conclusion from his struggles is that he didn't train as hard during the offseason. But Harden did show up in L.A., Vegas, Honolulu, Australia and other venues, according to social media reports. Such is the life of someone involved with the Kardashians, as Harden has been.
If Harden has an issue with his legs that stemmed from a basketball-related issue or some other kind normal offseason routine, it likely would've been reported. The mystery over Harden's lost explosiveness makes his relationship with Kardashian as plausible as any other explanation.
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