James Harden Opens Up On His Struggles In Elimination Games: “There’s Only So Much I Can Do.”

James Harden gets real on his struggles in big moments.

4 Min Read

Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Even though James Harden is no longer the same offensive engine that he was with the Houston Rockets, he is still one of the best stars in the league. Currently, the guard is averaging 22.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 10.8 APG for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Though he is obviously a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, one of the knocks on James Harden throughout his career has been his perceived lack of ability to show up in elimination games. In a recent interview with Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports, James Harden addressed his elimination games, admitting that he has had “a few bad games”, adding that “a lot of the times” his team wasn’t good enough to win a champinonship. 

Later, I asked about his struggles in elimination games.

“I’ve had a few bad games in close-out games. Not all of them have been bad,” he said. “Quite frankly, a lot of the times our team wasn’t good enough to compete for championships, if you want to be honest.

“There’s only so much I can do.”

It is clear that James Harden admits his shortcomings, but he also believes that at times, the struggles weren’t his fault. Hopefully, he is able to perform better in elimination games in the future, and perhaps we’ll see James Harden change his reputation in the playoffs with the Philadelphia 76ers this year.


James Harden Revealed Why He Requested A Trade From The Brooklyn Nets

Last season, James Harden requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, with him getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Recently, he explained that he asked to get moved because some internal things weren’t what he expected.

“I don’t mean to, like, just down talk to anybody or whatever. It was just, there was no structure and even superstars, they need structure. That’s what allows us to be the best players and leaders for our respective organizations,” Harden said.

“I just feel like,” Harden continued, “internally, things weren’t what I expected when I was trying to get traded there. I think everybody knows that. And I knew people were going to talk and say, ‘You quit’ and all that stuff, but then the following summer, the other superstar there [Durant] wanted to leave. So it’s like: Am I still the quitter?”

James Harden’s decision to request a trade from the Brooklyn Nets was definitely justified at the time. It is easy to see that the Brooklyn Nets have not been what was expected, even if the team is currently doing well.

Hopefully, we see James Harden win a championship in the future. That is the only thing missing from his Hall-of-Fame resume, and perhaps he’ll end up getting one with the Philadelphia 76ers.

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The Vy Lee Tran is a Senior Writer for Fadeaway World, specializing in trade scenarios, blockbuster trades, and the NBA salary cap. He graduated from Earlham College with honors and a B. A. in English.He is an avid fan of the NBA as a whole and thinks Stephen Curry is quite easily a top-10 player of all time. In his free time, you can find Lee playing basketball and working on his 3PT jumper. Expertise: NBA, Trade Scenarios, CBA, Salary Cap, Player BreakdownsFavorite Team: New Orleans Pelicans Featured On Sports Illustrated, HoopsHype, Heavy
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