DeMar DeRozan opened up on the excellent basketball James Harden played during his prime years with the Houston Rockets. DeRozan reflected on that run as some of the most incredible basketball he had ever seen.
“The run James had was… That ain’t even a video game, that was some Space Jam sh*t. If you didn’t watch the game, you just knew when you checked the box score it was going be something f*cking crazy… He did that sh*t and it looked like it was no effort… That run James had bro was the most incredible sh*t I know I ever seen. It was crazy.”
DeMar DeRozan: “If you didn’t watch the game, you just knew when you checked the box score it was going be something f*cking crazy… That run James had bro was the most incredible sh*t I know I ever seen. It was crazy.”
(via @club520podcast)
pic.twitter.com/l5Fe7N8DwR
— BGN Hoops (@BGNHoops) August 27, 2024
Harden in his prime was a sight to watch, arguably being one of the most impactful offensive players in NBA history. He averaged 31.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 8.5 assists over five seasons from 2016-17 to 2019-20, dominating the NBA. He was a perennial MVP finalist before winning his first and only MVP honor for the 2017-18 season.
His defining season in this run came in 2018-19, as Harden won the scoring title in dominant fashion by averaging 36.1 points. Unfortunately, all these incredible seasons were ultimately thwarted by the Golden State Warriors dynasty, as Harden could never get a series win over them in this stretch.
The Warriors dynasty broke up by the summer of 2019, but the Rockets had faced far too much talent drain by that point. The team made a bold move by trading Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook that summer, but the results weren’t ideal as the Rockets were bounced out of the second round by the eventual champion Lakers in Harden’s final season with the Rockets.
He averaged 29.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists over his entire spell with the Rockets, winning three scoring titles, one assists title, and an MVP, but never making it to the NBA Finals over this stretch of his career.
James Harden Might Not Win A Ring In His Career
Harden is well past his prime, averaging 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists last season with the Clippers. While Paul George’s departure should lead to an increase in Harden’s scoring numbers next season, he will never be the same player who was effortlessly dropping 40 points at one time.
The Clippers don’t look to be title contenders heading into next season, with the Kawhi Leonard and Harden duo raising more questions than answering them. Unless Harden can turn back the clock and take on the offensive burden on the franchise, it’s not going to be a pleasant season for the Clippers.
One skill Harden showed off in Houston was his playmaking, something that’s carried over really well as he ages. His first season with the Brooklyn Nets saw him average 10.8 assists and he won the assists title in the 2022-23 season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He might not be a prolific scorer anymore, but he can still dime with the best of them.
The 35-year-old is running out of time to make his championship dreams a reality. If Harden can’t make it happen on the Clippers, the odds of him winning a title as a featured star on a team are extremely slim.
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