Eric Gordon says James Harden’s defensive growth shows leadership

“That shows leadership,” Gordon said of Harden. “When you see him doing that on both sides, it forces everyone else to do more.”

The Houston Rockets have the No. 1 defense in the NBA playoffs to date (by net rating), and much of the credit has gone to veterans Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker for their roles as the primary defenders for All-Stars such as Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.

But for Houston’s small and versatile lineup, which routinely switches on defense, it’s hard to survive a weak link in the chain. That’s why Gordon thinks the entire squad deserves credit for their strong defensive metrics, including All-Star guard and MVP finalist James Harden.

In Friday’s Game 1 victory by the Rockets in their second-round series against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, Harden held the Lakers to 4-of-16 shooting (25%) when he was the primary defender, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Even though Harden was the game’s leading scorer with 36 points and carried an enormous burden on offense, “The Beard” clearly held his own on defense, as well.

At Saturday’s Rockets practice, Gordon explained why seeing that from Harden is so significant for the rest of the team:

That shows leadership. When you see him doing that on both sides, it forces everyone to do extra, to do more. We all know the kind of offensive player he is.

When he shows that kind of effort on defense, it steps up everybody’s game. When he’s doing that, it’s just an extra punch for everyone else. It’s a winning mentality.

Harden also had the series-clinching block in the final seconds of Houston’s Game 7 victory in the first round against Oklahoma City.

Gordon, Harden, and the rest of the Rockets return to action on Sunday night for Game 2 of their best-of-seven series against the Lakers. With a national TV broadcast on ABC, tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Central.

[lawrence-related id=37694,37682,37439]