Oklahoma City Thunder: Forget Starting, James Harden Needs to Finish

From the time children are able to play organized basketball to the time the lucky ones are playing in big arenas making big money, being named as a starter is a hot topic.

While it's much more emotional as a teenager, even professional athletes aspire to hear their name called by the announcer during the pre-game festivities.

When it comes to the NBA, however, any coach will tell you—balance off the bench is often more important for team success than having the best talent in the starting lineup. It's one of the reasons why the league recognizes the most significant performance from the bench in the form of the sixth man of the year.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder and talented third-year guard James Harden, his role continues to be a topic of discussion. Here's four reasons why he's more important on the floor during winning time than when the starters are announced.  

Bench Scoring Is Crucial in the NBA

Thunder rivals and the current NBA champion Dallas Mavericks know how important it is to bring a punch off the bench. Jason Terry has defined the role of adding scoring from the bench to key moments in the fourth, just ask LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Why can't James Harden do the same for the Thunder?

He anchors the second unit when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook need rest, in addition to playing big minutes in the fourth much like Terry in Dallas, Jamal Crawford in Portland and Mo Williams in LA.  

His numbers are up across the board, he plays with two superstars and frankly, they don't need him to be more than a third option on offense and great defender in crunch time.

Thunder Need His PG Skills

Harden reminds me of a more athletic version of Manu Ginobili when he takes the ball to the basket. Frankly, it's that kind of playmaking ability the Thunder need at the point, especially with Eric Maynor sidelined indefinitely with an ACL injury.

Rookie Reggie Jackson is no slouch; physically his tools are better than Maynor's and he may be the better long-term prospect.

But he is a rookie and running the show for an NBA team can take some getting used to, especially with the expectations of a Western conference title and NBA championship lightly hovering in your city.

Harden can provide more of the point-forward role trademarked by Lamar Odom and others, allowing Jackson to continue to ease into the offensive flow and all the while keeping the offense running at a smooth pace when Westbrook is on the pine. 

Harden Can Be Fresh in Crunch Time

All great teams have that "sidekick" type player that just does the job when they are called upon. Right now in OKC, that player is Harden.

A better way to describe it might be "The X-Factor." If he is playing an extra five to eight minutes a night in the starting lineup, it might have an effect on his durability not only late in games, but down the stretch during a playoff run.

Adversely, while sitting right at 30 minutes a night right now, Harden is the freshest scorer on the court in the fourth quarter. They don't need him to pour it on like Durant and Westbrook often do, just be consistent and give those guys another option if their shots aren't going down.

Late Game Inbounds Plays Need Work

Scott Brooks is a good, young coach. His approach to a young team with immense talent from a motivation level is one that is at the top of the NBA charts.

But for Thunder fans that watched the closing seconds of the Western conference semifinal games with Dallas last season, it's hard not to recognize that Brooks isn't a Doc Rivers inbound aficionado just yet.

While Harden kept the Thunder in close games of the series (Games 2 and 5 come to mind), it was mostly Durant isolation in the closing seconds of those games. Westbrook and Durant are going to attract most of the attention, so why not run Harden off a screen as your primary option? 

I'm not advocating a complete evacuation of isolation. Durant is one of the best individual scorers in the league and should be treated as such. But using the hot hand of a guy like Harden late in the game could benefit the Thunder more than the same old song and dance.

Harden is very valuable to the Thunder, in more ways than one. As the old adage says, it's not how you start, it's how you finish.