It’s game two of the NBA playoffs in the series between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors. After a missed field goal, a quick transition to offense occurs for the Warriors, it's a 3-2 break. Shaun Livingston, Harrison Barnes, and Klay Thompson against Patrick Beverley and none other than: James Harden. With about as much drive as a middle-aged man with low testosterone, Harden lets Thompson drive right past him and score the easy bucket. This play seems to occur too often, with Harden on defense, it is a 3-1 break essentially.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of the Beard and the Rockets. Harden’s smoothness on offense, lightning ball handling, and craftiness on the wing, he is a fun basketball player to watch. Also, Houston has only missed the playoffs twice in twenty-five years, the best record in the NBA. But with the offensive giant, comes a serious amount of baggage.

The first issue with Harden is his inclination to not play defense. When Harden plays, offensively, he is almost unstoppable and very versatile. He shoots .439 from the field, with an average of 29 points per game, he has an average of 7.5 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. To say that Harden is a bad offensive player is about as ridiculous as saying Harden is a excellent defensive player. Defense: it is what makes great players stand out from the rest; the ability to be an all-star on both sides of the court. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, all superstars because they were/are versatile defensively. Harden can take is game to the next level if he learns to cooperate defensively. Although his defense is not the biggest flaw of Harden. It’s his attitude. His defensive skills demonstrate a bigger issue to the team.

As seen this year, the Houston Rockets barely inched to the playoffs. With Harden at the helm of the team’s offense, which is really the only thing the team appears to have. Bickerstaff, the team’s interim coach mentioned that the team needs to do a better job of putting the Rockets before individual, “buckets,” and “glory.” What is seen by the interim coach is the core problem of the Rockets: individualism and lack of team chemistry. A team without respect and trust is a team that has no future. Everyone knows about the Harden-Howard feud, and what is associated when people think of the Rockets. It is sad that a team with great talent is useless because they cannot get along. Honestly, grow the hell up and work together! I guess Harden didn’t learn these traits in preschool. Jason Terry, a 17 year NBA veteran, said after the Rockets lost the first series of the playoffs that “I’m a super motivator. That's been my M.O. throughout my career. It just didn’t hit home with this team.” Even a player like Terry, who is dedicated to motivating a team to work together, doesn’t strike the surface of the pride filled Rocket’s.

Even NBA legends chimed in on Harden’s team saying, “The problem with James Harden is he has no leadership skills,” Shaq said bluntly on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” “I know for a fact as the main player, when you come to play, others will follow. If you’re the leader of a team, you gotta do what you’re supposed to do. If you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, then others will not do anything … He doesn’t lead by example. There’s two types of leaders. The vocal leader gets in people’s face like Draymond Green, and those who lead by example.” It is clear to just about everybody what is happening to the Rockets. It really doesn’t need to be said anymore; it just needs to be acted upon.

There is hope for the team. Fortunately, the Houston Rocket’s players are human, which means their hearts can change. With new coach Mike D’Antoni, I am excited to see what he can do to remold the team. I believe that Harden is a stubborn person, a person who does not change beliefs, which can be good and very bad to the team. D’Antoni needs to have an honest conversation with the team. Some serious questioning and internal reflecting needs to happen. What is the biggest problem facing the team? What needs to be fixed immediately? As regards to Harden, he needs to be heard out and then given an ultimatum: change or hit the bench. This is what I believe vitally needs to happen to the team, a new start with a new attitude. Of course my opinions are just that, opinions, my ideas cannot change hearts or fix the franchise: but the action upon the much-needed change can. It is action that will transform Houston.

Sports columnist, Ethan Rothstein, believes that Harden playing in Rio this summer for the 2016 Summer Olympics will help Harden to see what it is like to play with the players he fought against on the court this season. Harden needs to humble himself. This offseason is so detrimental to the team and his career. What will separate him from the rest of the NBA is if he learns from his mistakes, attempting to fix the team and become a better player; if he puts others before him, making it obvious to his team that he is not the most important player on the team; if he leads by example and keeps his confidence in himself; if he sets a clear goal for the team; I don’t see how the Rocket’s won’t excel this year.

Leadership can be instilled into the team. If the Rockets are serious about attaining a successful season (winning a Title), then they need to dig deep into the players. The Rockets have a history of taking a very analytical approach to their players, viewing their players as merely a number with statistics, this has proven to be harmful to the team. To create a machine of a team, transform the team: inside and out.