James Harden has been much maligned in the past for his defense, and rightfully so, as his effort on that end has been less than exemplary. With the Rockets off to a 16-4 start despite the continued absence of Dwight Howard, and ranking second in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing 96.5 points per 100 possessions, it's fair to ask whether Harden has indeed improved as a defender.

In fact, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey even retweeted a YouTube supercut of Harden's "improvement" as a defender, declaring him a "two-way player" and an MVP candidate. Is he right?