Two seasons ago, James Harden's penchant for dismissing the defensive end made for easily digestable video clips on almost a weekly basis. Whether fair or unfair, even Harden himself admitted that he needed to improve on defense, and did so as the Houston Rockets made a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2015.
And yet, here we are, in 2016, with the Rockets teetering around .500 and Harden's hatred for defense is once again making the rounds on the Internet. And sure, it isn't fair to let a handful of clips tell the full story of how someone treats the defensive end, but Harden's breakdowns are so egregious that it's still incredible to watch it on video. On Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors, Harden was reduced to an innocent bystander as he watched DeMar DeRozandrive right by him into the lane without so much as moving his feet. It's as if Harden was one of those mannequins at a department store, spinning around in a circle without ever going anywhere.
Never change, James. Never change.
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