NBA Finals 2012: Why James Harden Is the Key to OKC Thunder's Title Hopes

Kevin Durant is the best player on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook is the most important. However, James Harden is the key to the team's title hopes.

As Harden showed during his first-half surge in Game 2, he is yet another player on the Thunder who can light up the scoreboard and put the team on his back for an extended period of time. 

The Sixth Man of the Year first entered the second game of the NBA Finals with the Thunder already down 16-2, clearly outmatched in the intensity department by a highly motivated Miami Heat squad. On his very first possession, Harden calmly drilled a three-pointer to end a 13-0 run. 

Harden and Westbrook proceeded to score all of the Thunder's points in the remainder of the first quarter. The bearded one ended the opening period with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, despite playing just over five minutes. 

He added another seven points during the second stanza to finish with 17 points at the half, keeping Oklahoma City within striking distance while Durant and Westbrook sat out with foul trouble. 

Despite the prolonged absence of his fellow superstars, Harden helped close the gap from 16 points—right before he took his first shot—to 12 points. 

The second half, however, was a completely different story. Harden flopped unsuccessfully time and time again and scored only four points. Had he been able to make a bigger impact when it mattered most, the Thunder would be up 2-0 right now instead of ceding home-court advantage to the Heat on the heels of Game 3.

Finishing the game with 21 points is nothing to shake your head at, but with Harden, it's not a matter of how many points he scores, but how he gets them. 

Harden is typically one of the most efficient players in the game, coming off a regular season in which he finished second in both true shooting percentage (.660) and effective field goal percentage (.582). Tyson Chandler led the league in both categories, but only because his offensive repertoire consisted of little more than dunks and layups. 

While Harden may not always shoot for a high percentage from the field, he will inevitably draw contact and get to the charity stripe. Therein lies his efficiency. 

Not only can an untimely foul be a momentum killer for the Heat, but it can potentially get one of their star players in foul trouble. For a team as shallow as Miami, the importance of the latter cannot be overstated. 

Part of Harden's efficiency stems from his offensive versatility. He can rain threes, handle the ball (even without full control) and keep defenders guessing when he drives to the hoop. Dwyane Wade can check Westbrook and LeBron can at least partially slow Durant, but it is near impossible to shut down Harden without fouling him. 

When he's going, he can't be stopped. The Thunder just need him to get going a little more often.