Are the Los Angeles Clippers worse off with James Harden?
Following a protracted saga that saw him finally land in Los Angeles, expectations were high for the former league MVP. Sadly, he is yet to live up to them.
Though his lack of court time was evident before joining his new team, the now former 76ers star is facing a number of questions about if/when he will begin to justify all that had to occur in order for the Clippers to acquire him.
The LA Clippers aren’t better with James Harden
There’s no way to sugarcoat the situation in Los Angeles. Since trading for James Harden, the Clippers have lost six straight games, the most recent of which was a 111–108 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. Of those six, Harden has played in five, however, he’s only managed to exceed 20 points on just one occasion. Now, while it’s obvious that developing chemistry with new teammates is something that takes time, one has to admit that for a player of Harden’s stature, that’s not good enough.
This of course brings us to the issue of training or rather lack thereof. Prior to his departure from Philly, Harden did not participate in the 76ers’ training camp i.e., this is the first time he’s been playing since last season. Indeed, that’s something that the 34-year-old was quick to address following Tuesday’s loss to the defending NBA champions.
What did James Harden say about his performances so far?
Speaking post-game on Tuesday night, Harden directly addressed his apparent lack of form by explaining that his lack of training camp has had a negative impact on his start to the season. “I kept reiterating, I didn’t have a training camp or a preseason, so kind of learning on the fly,” Harden said “Also getting myself into James Harden shape. Tonight was definitely another step in the right direction and just keep improving.” For his part, Harden has averaged 15 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in the five games that he has played this season. To be clear, those numbers are the lowest he’s posted in more than a decade, in that he’s averaged at least 20 points per game for 13 consecutive campaigns.
As for the Clippers themselves, the team now sits on a 3-7 record - they are yet to win on the road - and are now on a six-game losing streak. It goes without saying that both the team and Harden will be hoping to snap that line of losses when they host the Houston Rockets on Friday.