James Harden with the Los Angeles Clippers has not been faring as well as everyone expected him to. Since Harden’s arrival in LA, the Clippers have gone 0-4, contributing to the team’s 3-6 overall record this season. He has averaged an underwhelming 13.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in four games- far off from the standards set by his prime years in Houston.

During his nine-year tenure with the Rockets, Harden achieved remarkable feats, including an MVP award in 2018 and a trip to the Western Conference Finals. He was posting eye-popping averages of 29.6 points, 7.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds in Houston. Harden’s dominance made him nearly unstoppable, forcing opposing teams to devise unconventional strategies to contain his offensive prowess. Recently, a former Utah Jazz star disclosed the peculiar tactics they employed to slow down Harden during his Rockets era.

Georges Niang discusses the bizarre tactics to stop the Rockets’ Harden

Houston’s offensive rating had improved from 12th in the league to sixth since Harden’s arrival. This surge was due to his ability to shoot “threes and frees” effortlessly. His insane ability to draw fouls also cemented his position as one of the most unguardable players in the league. This led the teams to come up with the “force him right” approach.

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One team that was making headlines for their peculiar strategy to contain Harden was the Utah Jazz. The Jazz started guarding Harden from behind to curb his step-back three-point shots in hopes of settling for a two-pointer or, better yet, blocking the shot altogether.

During a recent appearance on the Tidal League podcast, ex-Jazz star Georges Niang discussed the game that they played “behind Harden”. He revealed that guarding Harden was even more difficult back then because of the foul calls. As a result of Harden exploiting the league rules, the NBA tweaked the rule to allow more leeway to the defenders. Therefore, the defenders are not penalized anymore for minimal contact initiated by the offensive player.

“I mean James back. I mean James still now, but now the way they call the game…he’s not getting those foul calls. But I mean, you couldn’t get close to him. And if you couldn’t get close and he could shoot the ball, good, good luck,” said Niang. However, despite their efforts, the strategy did not work that well. Through four games, Harden shot 8-of-15 from beyond the arc on 53% shooting. “Hey, we was trying anything man,” concluded the 30Y0.

Can the LA Clippers fulfill James’ title aspirations?

However, this narrative has seen a tremendous shift recently, with the entire league criticizing Harden for his questionable decisions. Harden has facilitated a lot of trades, including those between him and other players. Despite persistent pursuits for an NBA title, all his efforts have been in vain. In Houston, he joined forces with Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook, but the quartet failed to yield the coveted results. His subsequent move to Brooklyn also ended without the sought-after championship. Even teaming up with reigning MVP Joel Embiid in Philadelphia could not satiate the Beard.

Now, he finds himself with the LA Clippers. And in the four games he has played so far, it has not been looking good for the Clippers, even with both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard healthy. Therefore, Philly fans hope to see Harden back in his form from his Houston years. What are your thoughts on Harden’s fit with the Clippers? Let us know in the comments!

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