After all the drama related to his trade, James Harden finally saw his desired move to the Los Angeles Clippers in a last-minute trade by the franchise with the hopes of winning the championship. The Clippers traded away their few remaining draft assets and a total of four versatile forwards to acquire Harden.
The deal seems a bit overpaid, but it remains unchanged that Harden is still an All-Star caliber guard and could bring value to the Clippers squad. However, in recent events, it looks like it will take a little more time for him to get settled, as the Clippers faced the Nets, and Harden openly took the blame for the loss.
James Harden takes blame for Clippers’ defeat
If judging only by the names on the squad, the Los Angeles Clippers look seriously packed with great talents with the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and now James Harden. However, the team still struggled against the Brooklyn Nets in their matchup and the offensive department delivered a lackluster performance.
James Harden hasn’t been bad for his new team so far with him shooting 55.6% from the field in just two games. It is an average stat but due to his problem with his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, Harden was not able to have a proper training camp before the season and it can seen on the court. He was a little off in his plays and was looking slower than usual both on and off the ball.
Harden clearly recognizes his fault here and after conceding a loss against the Nets, he has taken full responsibility for the failure. Harden talked with Law Murray of The Athletic and said, “Tonight was on me as far as letting the ball get away. I think it is really the 4th quarter… Everything is fast you know I am still tryna figure out… tonight, I turned the ball over, they get easy points.”
Harden faces “Daryl Morey” chant at free throw line
During the game with the Brooklyn Nets, the crowd decided to mess with James Harden a bit. It is common for the home crowd to disturb and try to distract a player when he is awarded a free throw. The Brooklyn fans were no less than the usual NBA crowd. As Harden received an opportunity to make a free throw, the crowd started chanting the name of Daryl Morey.
Morey is the current president of the Philadelphia 76ers, the former team of Harden. It is very clear that the two do not have a good relationship, as Harden has clearly expressed his unhappiness with Morey’s management before. It would be hard to believe, but Morey and Harden used to have a great relationship while they were both at the Houston Rockets. However, over time their relationship got worse and is currently “irreparable,” as once said by Harden.
What do you think of James Harden taking the blame for the loss? How do you think the trio of Harden, Kawhi, and PG will perform? We are eager to hear from you, so drop your thoughts down in the comments section.
