HOUSTON -- This is supposed to be a big summer for Kevin Durant. He’s the highly sought-after free agent numerous NBA teams want on their roster.
Who knows what Durant is thinking following the draft-night moves of his current team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who seemed to steal the night from the 29 other teams with their blockbuster deal with Orlando.
One man who is watching Durant’s every move wants this to be the Summer of Harden.
James Harden, the Houston Rockets shooting guard, underwent a dramatic national transformation this past season. He went from finishing second to Stephen Curry in the MVP vote in 2015, elevating his game on the offensive and defensive ends, to someone who wasn’t named to any of the three All-NBA teams in 2016.
Harden’s numbers were fantastic; he led the NBA in minutes played, field goal attempts, free throws made and attempted, and total points. He finished third in usage rate and offensive win shares, according to Basketball Reference research.
Harden was also fourth in the league in value over replacement with a mark of 6.9.
The negatives for Harden were the turnovers, first with 374, and his defensive rating per 100 possessions was 108.
Harden's leadership abilities were questioned, his nearly season-long friction with Dwight Howard drained the team, and then his group finished just 41-41 -- eighth in the Western Conference.
The fall for Harden and his team was something he couldn’t accept. So he has decided to take a direct approach in changing his narrative.
He has elected to skip playing for the U.S. Olympic team, instead channeling his energy toward recruiting high-quality free agents, starting with Durant, his good friend from their three seasons together in OKC.
Harden is also making sure he’s on the same page with the head coach. Gone is Kevin McHale, fired 11 games into last season, and also departed is J.B. Bickerstaff, the interim coach who tried to coax the team to greater heights.
Mike D'Antoni, the man who elevated Steve Nash's game as a playmaker in his time with the Phoenix Suns, is in charge now.
Harden said he has spoken with D’Antoni about getting better so that, well, his team can get better.
“I’m really excited,” Harden said. “I’ve been meeting with him for the last couple of days and just going over the different scenarios and different situations he can put me in to where I can be effective. I’m really excited and I’m excited for our team for next year.”
It would seem on the surface that D’Antoni needs a point guard such as Nash to run the offense. Is there a free agent on the market or someone else via a trade to do such a thing?
Based on what Harden said, taking the ball out of his hands isn’t in the grand plans. If anything, D’Antoni wants Harden to continue handling the ball, with the addition of more playmakers.
“Everything comes with getting more playmakers and getting guys who can create,” Harden said. “So July 1 is going to be very interesting; we’re very excited.”
General manager Daryl Morey believes the Rockets can improve in free agency, and the two centers selected in Thursday’s draft shouldn’t preclude the franchise from adding depth.
Meanwhile, the determination for Harden has never been greater, seeing how his reputation has taken a massive hit.
Harden wants to get better. Needs to get better.
“I’m a part of the process,” he said. “I want to win. I want to get back the winning ways that Houston is about. I got to be part of that process, and obviously I got to come back as a better basketball player individually, making sure the cast around me is ready to go and we’re on the same page.”
The offseason, for many, is about finding what makes you a better player, and that’s something Harden is striving for this summer.
It begins with free agency. By not getting all his shots for Rio, Harden will be available to have dinner with Durant and whoever else steps in the city limits looking for a new deal.
“Last year was very frustrating, as an organization, in Houston,” he said. “So for me, I think [it's about] trying to get our winning ways back and back to championship ways, just being part of that free-agency process and trying to get guys to Houston and trying to win. I think that right now is something I’m trying to focus on.”