To be fair though, the next game is against the Jazz. Although they have been playing better, they aren't Portland. The Jazz also aren't the Clippers, who Harden needs to have a big game against for any shot at that MVP.
Just want to add that the Vegas trip might have affected his play. Cmon now Harden its time be serious for final part of the season.
Good grief, the Harden hate tonight is ridiculous. Harden can't get every rebound, make other players free throws, etc. Harden didn't have 40 plus like he usually does tonight against the Blazers, but Bev and Dmo were liabilities out there and I think were bigger reasons why the team lost tonight. Other players gonna have to continue to step up like Brewer did tonight. Harden is the main reason why this team is relevant.
I actually agree with you here. He should not have been partying it up in Vegas with Chris Brown, Tyga, and crew. That was a bad look imo. Should have been chilling in Portland. Kinda showed tonight...
Do you believe either of the following? James Harden is performing poorly in the clutch and big moments across the full season Any past league MVP had a season with zero below average games and zero clutch stinkers If you don't believe either of those, I don't see how your argument is relevant. Smoothing out single-game noise is kind of the purpose of average stats - which say Harden is delivering. If he has another 5 games like last night, then maybe you're right about his worthiness, but it would be reflected in decreased stats.
Yes. The problem isn't that he had an off game but that he chose to be passive and disinterested last night. There isn't a stat for that but watching the game it just seemed that Harden just did not care!
I'm still mad that Harden didn't get that last shot last night. Brewer was on FIRE so I can live with it, but James has to be shooting 80% in clutch situations. Harden would have drilled it.
In all fairness every MVP candidate (outside of Lebron because he did not play) had an off game last night...I'm sure most of us watched Westbrook prior to the Rockets game and Curry got carried by Klay against Detroit...Everyone has off games, that doesn't take away from what he or the rest of the candidates have done this season
I agree that he was too passive last night. That's not much of an factor in the context of a full-season campaign.
Maybe he was sick or coming down with something. Maybe something woke him up during the middle of the night and he had no energy. There are other reasons for being lethargic. Not sure why you are assuming the worst case scenario here.
Well, it didn't seem to bother LeBron when it happened to him. I hope Harden was just sick but that reminded me of last year's playoffs.
He has no shot to win if we don't have a top 4 record, which we could lose in the next game. Have we worn him down?
Of course we have. Morey and McHale have not given Harden the help he needs to make it all the way through the season. Short rotations. No other playmakers. No other consistently reliable scorers. Iso Iso Iso. It adds up, and I think it's finally hit Harden.
If this were true why the fk did Milk Hair play him so many minutes instead of resting him. We need Harden in the long run.
