The Clippers are now 4-7 since trading for Harden, or 0-1 in his “ready” state.
Memes aside, he was okay this game, but okay isn’t good enough when you’re with a fully healthy Clippers vs a Reggie Jackson-led Nuggets.
Harden isn’t exactly playing terribly as a Clippers, but at this point in his career, it’s hard to justify an offence-first player on a team as offensively stacked as the Clippers when they’re in desperate need of some more off-ball movement.
Harden is looking to secure a max extension, we’ll have to see what kind of contract he can muster as he gets more into game shape as the season progresses.
I feel like the Clippers have gotten the current version of the James Harden experience. He will make some very poor plays and have bad numbers some nights, he’ll be kind of ok most of the time, then he’ll have a game or two every so often when he reminds of us that he’s still James Harden.
The issue is that 99% of the world realizes that the first two scenarios are what we get about 90% of the time now. James Harden is not in that 99%, which causes issues, because he could still be a GREAT pass-first PG if he just adapted his game to accommodate his physical limitations.