In what I was hoping wouldn’t be the case, the Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Denver Nuggets in game seven of the NBA playoffs last week. The loss is James Harden’s fourth loss on a fourth different team. In this loss, Harden only took eight shots and scored a dismal seven points. It isn’t the type of performance that you expect from a perennial all-star. Well, it isn’t what you expect as it pertains to other players. Unfortunately, we have come to expect these types of woeful performances from Harden when the lights shine the brightest.
With a Kawhi Leonard who was rounding out his play, coming off an injury, Harden was so needed. As a steadying force and an offensive threat, he was needed to put more pressure on the Nuggets’ defense. Once again, this wasn’t the case. Now, back in 2019, during Harden’s prime, Kobe Bryant was asked about his opinion of Harden’s style of play.
James Harden played in a Mike D’Antoni offense that was predicated on Harden’s ball handling
What were the prevalent options out of this offense, you ask? There’s a Harden step-back three, or his drive to the basket. Harden could also drive and dish for a three, or throw a lob for an alley-oop. But pretty much about 70% of the offense was predicated on Harden having control of the basketball.
What Kobe Bryant is speaking to is that the defense knew this was the case
It made life easier for them to prepare for what Harden might run. In L.A. with the Clippers, Harden doesn’t control the ball as much. He had a talented cast alongside him that included Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP. However, when moments called for Harden to be as aggressive as he was in 2019, he wasn’t. That lack of discernment has cost his teams games.
That leads us to all wonder, why does this result for Harden continue to follow him? In game sevens, he has typically played well below his abilities. As stated on StatMuse, Harden has averaged 19.3 points and 7.9 assists in game sevens in his career. Since becoming a starter and leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden has career averages of 24.1 points per game and 7.2 assists. At his peak, as a Houston Rocket, he averaged 29.6 points per game. So clearly, he is no slouch.
Some wonder if it is a mental collapse during game seven. More times than not, it hasn’t been physical health-related. But regardless of all of that, Harden finds himself in a familiar spot. It’s unfortunately watching the playoffs from his abode, and not from on the court itself. Only time will tell if Bryant will remain a prophet in this respect, or if Harden will ever prove any of us wrong. Anything is possible, if he does the necessary work. But that depends on the age-old question: How bad does he want it?
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