James Harden Will Never Lead Houston Rockets To A Championship

James Harden will never be “the man” for the Houston Rockets—or any other team for that matter.

The Rockets lost to the Golden State Warriors, 104-90, in Game 5 of the Conference Finals on Wednesday night. Despite a couple competitive games, the Warriors made quick work of the Rockets finishing them off in just five games. The Rockets hung in there for most of Game 5 despite a horrendous performance from Harden. Harden set an NBA record with 13 turnovers in a playoff game, and he was also dismal from the floor, shooting just 2-of-11.

Every great player has bad games — maybe not as pitiful as Harden’s performance, but every superstar has their struggles. Most of the time these instances are isolated, but this is nothing new for Harden. We saw him completely mishandle the final possession against the Warriors in Game 2 of this season as well. Last year, Harden was awful in Games 1 and 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers at home, shooting 14-for-47 from the floor and putting the Rockets in an 0-2 hole, eventually leading to their demise. Facing elimination against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2013, Harden was 7-of-22 from the floor. In 2012 when he was with the Thunder, with the NBA Finals tied at one game apiece against the Miami Heat, Harden went 4-for-20 from the floor and was one of the main reasons why the Heat made quick work of the Thunder.

This is James Harden.

He can score in volumes. He can make dynamic plays. He can wow you with his abilities. But when the game is on the line and the pressure mounts, Harden is nowhere to be found. Don’t forget, when the Rockets made their historic comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers in the sixth game of their conference semifinal matchup this year, Harden was on the bench.

This isn’t to say Harden isn’t a great player. Scottie Pippen was a great player, but Pippen could not handle being the main guy on a team either. Pippen needed Michael Jordan. Harden needs to be the No. 2. Dwight Howard certainly doesn’t have the mental make-up to be the go-to-guy either, and that creates an issue in Houston.

The problem is the Rockets are paying Harden like he’s the man, and he has the confidence to be that type of player. Unfortunately for Houston, he simply doesn’t have it. Harden shrinks when the game is on the line. He doesn’t hide; he’ll take his shots, but they don’t find the bottom of the net.

Harden supporters will say that he’s only 25 years of age and has plenty of time to develop into a clutch performer. But when I watch Harden, there’s something missing. He doesn’t have the “it” factor. He’s the Western Conference’s Carmelo Anthony. He doesn’t have a championship pedigree.

This isn’t meant to insult Harden, although his fans will read it as such. It’s simply an observation that as great as he is, and despite how much talent he has, he will never be the anchor of a championship team. With the Warriors now established as an elite team, the still youthful talent of the Thunder and the up-and-coming New Orleans Pelicans with Anthony Davis, the Western Conference isn’t getting any easier.

After finishing second in the conference and reaching the conference finals, Daryl Morey and Kevin McHale probably think they’re close. But from this vantage point, Houston is a long way off from truly contending for a championship.

Bill Zimmerman is a featured writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.