Guys who like to dominate the ball like Harden does are pretty much never as good offensively as their stats indicate, especially when it comes to assists.
OF COURSE a player who has the ball in his hands all the time will have many assists - because he has the ball in his hands all the time and he’s going to pass it sometimes and the guy he passes it to will sometimes score. But such a player also stagnates an offense because when one player dominates the ball it inhibits ball movement and moving without the basketball to get easier shots.
Guys who like to dominate the ball like Harden does are pretty much never as good offensively as their stats indicate, especially when it comes to assists.
OF COURSE a player who has the ball in his hands all the time will have many assists - because he has the ball in his hands all the time and he’s going to pass it sometimes and the guy he passes it to will sometimes score. But such a player also stagnates an offense because when one player dominates the ball it inhibits ball movement and moving without the basketball to get easier shots.