Kevin Durant has praised new Brooklyn Nets teammate James Harden’s defensive ability on the back of the team’s 124-120 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
Harden’s defending has been oft-criticized over the years and, since his arrival in Brooklyn, the team’s overall defense has been subjected to criticism from the media. However, Durant noted the drop on the other side of the ball came about due to the former MVP’s huge responsibility as an offensive coordinator in Houston.
“Coming in with James his rookie year, we asked him to guard guys, the best players off the bench, so he knows exactly what he needs to do on the defensive side of the ball,” Durant said, via the New York Daily News. “When he [went] to Houston, he had to control the offense so much that it’s compromising on who you want to guard and what type of defense you want to play, but he’s always been good at getting steals and playing post defense, using his strength, so he’s an all-around defender.
“If we ask him to guard somebody, he can go out there and do his job. I think that’s the underrated part of his game.”
Harden recorded a triple-double against the Clippers this week, scoring 23 points and adding 14 assists as well as 11 rebounds. The Nets are back in action on Friday night, with a home game against the Toronto Raptors next on the schedule.
