In the video above, Chris Broussard & Rob Parker react to James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets coming up short against the Houston Rockets. While the Nets were without Kevin Durant that night, It should've been familiar territory for James Harden who once was able to carry teams in the regular season without superstar talent by his side. Harden's struggles can be traced to the beginning of the season when the NBA implemented new rules for the officials to stop calling fouls where the ball handler initiated contact. Some could argue this rule was targeted at James Harden's game but critics would simply suggest the superstar adjust and move forward.
As most NBA teams are now about 25 games into the season Chris Broussard suggests there are explanations for why Harden hasn't looked the same as he has in the past and thinks this decline could jeopardize Brooklyn's chances at an NBA championship.
Chris Broussard: "It could be as simple as James Harden is off to a slow start and he'll get better. He's already improved from what he was earlier in the year. Another explanation is that he had the worst hamstring injury in the history of mankind because he hasn't been the same and blamed the hamstring. He didn't have time to work in the offseason because he was rehabbing. He was balling before the injury but since then, when he reaggravated it against Boston he hasn't been the same since that series. It could also be age and attrition. James Harden is 32, in his 13th season, and has already played more regular-season games than Larry Bird. James Harden is 12 games away from equaling the total number of games that Allen Iverson played. So my point is this, he's already had a full career. We think of him as relatively young and in his prime but Rob, everybody doesn't have a 15-year prime."