Harden HAS to lead the Clippers in assists – Richard Jefferson James’ role with LAC | NBA Countdown
Hard and he is back in Houston he this isn’t his first return game but we’re keying in on him here Richard because we were talking in countdown about how they figured out in this dominant stretch from December and January really how James Harden could be deferring to his
Teammates really racking up those assist numbers and you feel like maybe he’s tipping back over to a different side why is that concerning to you well it’s concerning to me one it was needed because uh uh Paul George missed some time but when you look at it it’s like
If you’re going to have a balance I think Paul George and kawhai need to be the leading scores and then I think James Harden needs to be the leading assist man and that needs to stay that way over time and then James Harden we saw it last year in the postseason you
Can’t go for 351 night and then you have you know you have a struggle performance uh the next night Paul George and kawhai those have to be the guys he has to be the setup guy and then if he’s 18 to 20 and then he has a burst that’s fine but
If he’s going out there trying to score 25 points every single night I think that’s not the best version I think the best version is a happy James Harden okay and whatever that may be wasn’t he not satisfied in Philly he led the league in assist because he wanted a
Bigger role so I think you got to go out there and just kind of somewhat stroke his ego and let him go be the best version absolutely not absolutely not I never behem disagree but absolutely not a happy James hard we need a productive James hard we need a James hard that
Shows us in the post season okay look to me it’s figuring out how to adapt right without Russ they’re going to have to up speed James is going to have to deal with a lot get Paul George back on track which he has been I think he had 29 last
Game but then also keep the tempo [Applause] [Applause] moving
The NBA Countdown panel discuss their recent concerns with Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden.
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13 Comments
As a clippers fan I agree with that harden he’s the one that got be the assist man , kawhi and pg be the top scorer as a a clippers.
The Celtics are not much different than my Clippers. You can’t have your best players only be 6’7 or 6’8. Even Kobe had Shaq and Pau next to him. If Heatles never got Bosh and got Carmelo instead, I doubt they win in 2013. You gotta have a BIG even if your best player is not that tall.
Bill Russell
Wilt Chamberlain
Hakeem Olajuwon
Magic still had Kareem
Bird had McHale, Parish, and Walton
Kobe had Shaq and Pau
A team with Shaq or Duncan were reaching the Finals every year from 1999-2007. Celtics had KG who is 6’11.
Only MJ’s Bulls became a dynasty without an all-star big man. They figured it out without needing one. They did defeat the Cavs with Daugherty and Knicks with Ewing all those years. Then avenged Shaq’s Magic in 1996. The 1998 Pacers were a taller team than those Bulls and the Bulls still found a way to beat them in 7. The Davis boys and Smits were a huge frontcourt. Jalen Rose was 6’8 and Reggie Miller was 6’7.
1. Jokic 6’11
2. Giannis 6’11
3. Embiid 7’1
4. AD 6’10
Suns have 6’11 KD
Spurs have Wemby.
TWolves have Towns and Gobert.
Clippers really need to re-evaluate their lineup. Hard to win a ring if your best player isn’t an elite big or you lack one. No rush to re-sign Paul George and James Harden until they can show us they can perform well in the playoffs. Right now, three of our stars are still born losers. Two of them are skilled but ringless.
In the 2020s, every champion had an elite big except the 2022 Warriors who only had to handle a small team like Boston. Lakers had AD and Dwight. Bucks have Giannis. Nuggets have arguably the best player in the NBA. The last 5 MVP winners were 6’11 or taller.
2019: Giannis
2020: Giannis
2021: Jokic
2022: Jokic
2023: Embiid
It’s Joker’s world and we’re all living in it. He’s going to win at least 3 or 4 rings when it’s all said and done. True, he isn’t athletic and doesn’t play D that well. But like Shaq, he’s also too unstoppable. He won his 1st ring without needing to create or join a superteam similar to Giannis in 2021.
Jokic got drafted by Denver and he won them a title without trying to act like LeBaby crying for Anthony Davis to help him and getting coaches fired. Or asking his friends to help him or giving up every 1st round draft pick to trade. Without being like KD winning prostitute rings in Golden State.
It was Year 8 for Shaq, Giannis, and Jokic when they won their first. I believe Denver has more championships to come. Jokic is way more skilled than Shaq. His game is prettier than Shaq’s but Skip Bayless doesn’t like Jokic for some reason but thinks Shaq is the 3rd greatest player ever. Uh huh. Being slow and unathletic like Jokic might also help prolong his career.
It was a fluke win by Phoenix similar to my Clippers winning in Minnesota or the Lakers beating us because LeBron caught a hot hand. I’m not concerned for Denver. They’re going to destroy everyone by late next month.
In the West, it’s Denver and then everyone else. In the East, it’s Boston vs. Miami vs. Milwaukee. Ignore the other five teams in the East. I see Boston vs. Miami ECF again. Milwaukee is playing great lately but I still don’t trust Doc Rivers in the playoffs no different than I don’t trust Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Davis’ health or strength in stopping Nikola Jokic.
We’re returning to the era when the bigs rule. Clippers, Celtics, and Heat will never win a championship if their top 2 best players are all 6’8 or shorter unless they face each other or another smaller team like Phoenix and Golden State.
You know why I don’t believe my Clippers will ever win a championship with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden? Because they don’t care about their legacy. They don’t have that same DESIRE and WILL TO WIN like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James have. They don’t have that same WORK ETHIC.
If you want to win rings, you want to be the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. You need to want it 100% all day, everyday. I don’t see that with Kawhi, PG, and Harden. They get paid well and that’s it. It’s no different than Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. I never saw it in them that they so badly wanted to win a ring. There’s no fire under that belly to want to always win. They had weaker, beta personalities.
Sorry, Clippers. You’re already running out of steam. Nice new logo but this franchise will never win a championship with a small team like that, weak leadership, and not the same desire as MJ and Kobe in always trying to win it all. Playing basketball like their lives depended on it because they cared about their legacies and how they’ll be remembered.
The only players who don’t need to have the same will power as MJ and Kobe but who can still win rings are elite players who are 6’10 or taller. Like Shaq can get away being lazy because he was so big, strong, and unstoppable. Or Jokic who has no desire to be in the spotlight, no social media, and cares more about his horse racing. He doesn’t have to work as hard as Kobe because was born big.
Size matters in the NBA. Clippers needs to get the memo. Lakers won all those championships because they always had an all-star big man and not because Magic and Kobe were so fun to watch.
Maybe just maybe , as presently constructed the clippers are just old lol eventually that shows up in the high leverage moments
Stroke his ego is what we will not do 😅
he's so not looking to score LMAO you dmb media….
Harden has figured out his role with this clips team his focus is more of play making only Harden will switch that if the Clips need scoring
It would help if PG could consistently score. Bro sucks to many games.
Everytime ESPN concerned about James harden badly
The way Chiney had Richard cracking up with her response to Perk's "happy James Harden" comment made me crack up, ha ha!
Media complaining about Harden who has low usage and only like 10 shots a game is wild. Only reasons his assist are down is bc mfs miss easy shot. Stg the media only watches national games 🤦♂️
Don’t question Perk…cue the music, go to commercial 🤦♂️
He still is leading the team in assists with over 8 in the last 6 games. The only difference is now he is scoring more than 20 in some of those games, and these idiots are complaining that he should score less? These clowns need to make up their mind.
When Harden put 40,30,29 points it's not him he has to be assist maan , when he put 11 assist and Clippers loose ( csuse PG shooting 20%)he has to be more aggressive … media loves to blame on Harden for everything