Unrecognizable since the start of the season, James Harden simply fails to exceed the 20 point mark. An unthinkable observation for him, to which he recently reacted with sad justification.
The absence of Kyrie Irving, for reasons everyone now knows, was already proving bad enough on its own for the Nets. The gross mishap of another franchise superstar therefore only worsens his level of performance. Because yes, if Kevin Durant continues to slaughter the opposing defenses night after night, James Harden displays a much more unusual return for him.
Accustomed to touching the thirty average points, the Bearded only turned until Wednesday at 17.3 points per game. For many, this sharp drop in scoring is due to the new regulations, which would prevent him from going as much on the free throw line as in the past. True or not, this explanation does not, however, make it possible to eliminate the unease that surrounds the former MVP.
The physique, enemy n ° 1 of James Harden?
Vigorously defended internally in recent days, Harden didn’t put on a better face during his last outing against the Heat. Still limited to 14 points, and still damn awkward (4/12), the former Rocket was placed as one of the main culprits in the defeat of his family (93-106). Once again asked about his statistics at half mast, he said he was simply… unable to meet his standards!
James Harden: “As much as I want to get back to 30s and 40s points, I can’t do that. As much as I want to, as much as I would love to, I didn’t have any opportunities to play pickup. It was all rehab.”
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) October 28, 2021
Even though I would love to score 30 or 40 points again, I can’t. Even though I really want to, although I would love to be able to do it, I haven’t had a single opportunity to pickup in practice. It was only rehabilitation.
As a reminder, Harden is coming back from a big injury, contracted during the last conference finals.
Affected by the hamstring since the start of the series against the Bucks, he would have obviously spent his summer trying to regain his physical sensations, rather than really preparing for the season. Therefore, it would not be surprising to see him in such difficulty at the moment. Because even if talent does a lot in the NBA, land is essential to shine there!
Admittedly annoyed by the new rules introduced by the league, James Harden would be above all handicapped by his state of health, still fragile. The sequence of matches could therefore help him to get out of this funny situation.
