The Brooklyn Nets once brought guard James Harden to the Nets when the team was hoping that he could team up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to win a championship. Brooklyn did not see anything close to that when Harden was in town for a variety of reasons, but after his Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, many around the league are once again questioning Harden.
The Cavaliers lost to the Knicks on Monday 130-93 in what many describe as a lackluster effort from the team as a whole with Harden being singled out in particular. Despite the fact that every player who saw at least 12 minutes for Cleveland had a -9 plus/minus or worse, Harden finished with a -19 that underscored just how much he struggled in the series.
After finishing Monday’s Game 4 with 12 points (2-of-8 shooting from the field, 0-for-6 from three-point land), four rebounds and two assists (five turnovers), Harden didn’t exactly have a flattering series. In the Cavaliers’ four-game sweep at the hands of the Knicks, Harden averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists (4.3 turnovers), and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 38.9% from the field and 17.9% from three-point range.
Harden’s outing in the Eastern Conference Finals was not only disappointing for Cleveland, but also for himself given how well he played this season. Across 70 games played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Cavaliers, Harden averaged 23.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game while shooting 43.4% from the floor and 37.5% from behind the three-point line.
For a player in Harden that will surely make the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame when he is first eligible to do so, his playoff resume is lacking not just in terms of his play, but also when it comes to him finally capturing that elusive championship. Nets fans know how talented of a player Harden is, but this season is another reminder that there is still more for him to achieve.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Former Nets G James Harden faces doubts after Cavaliers loss to Knicks
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
