Harden says situation ‘can’t be fixed’ after rout by Lakers.
Harden says team‘not even close … not good enough’ after lopsided loss to Lakers
James Harden made his concession speech and got up and walked out. He hoped to keep walking.
With the Lakers’ latest blowout of the Rockets still fresh, Harden for the first time seemed to acknowledge that he wants out, breathing new life into his offseason trade demand.
“We’re not even close, honestly, to that team or all the other elite teams out there,” Harden said after the Lakers led by 30 on theirway to a117-100blowout win, their second in Toyota Center in three days. “We’re just not good enough.”
Harden, however, made it clear that he considered the shortcomings to be greater than just in Tuesday’s loss, describing them as unsolvable. He then sounded as if
he were offering a farewell.
“I love this city,” Harden said. “I’ve literally done everything that I can. The situation is crazy. It’s something I don’t think can be fixed, so. Yeah.”
He then said “thanks” and got up without taking any other questions, having made his feelings clear.
Harden had seen the Rockets in another up-close comparison to the NBA’s best and found the gap at least as great as with last season’s second-round playoff loss that sent the Rockets into an offseason of turmoil.
Having watching Mike D’Antoni leave as coach before the charter fromOrlando had landed and Daryl Morey depart as general manager soon after, Harden — the Rockets’ eight-time All-Star, former MVP and threetime scoring champion —
seemed clear that hewanted to follow Russell Westbrook as the next piece of the Rockets’ foundation to be sent packing.
Asked about Harden’s comment about the Rockets’ shortcomings being irreparable, Rockets guard John Wall initially offered “no comment.” He later said Harden has competed and practiced professionally but also spoke of a lack of players being on the same page.
“He’s talking to his own opinion. I can’t knowwhat he thinks about the team or what he feels like we are,” Wall said. “I know how much hard work these guys put in … to try to get better every day. I know how much work I put into it to get back and compete as a high level.
“There’s a lot of guys here that want to compete at a high level. Like I told everybody tonight and told the guys before, when one through 15 guys are all on the same page and they commit and they know their role and they know what they want to get out of this and that’s to win, it’ll all be fine. But when you have certain guys in the mix that don’t want to buy in all as one, it’s going to be hard to do anything special or anything good as a basketball team.”
Wall said he has been on teams “itwas all about me, me, me, me, not about the team and that hurts. It
brings everybody down. If we get everybody on the same page, we can do something good here.”
Wall repeatedly said it is still early with the Rockets 3-6 before heading out on a three- game road trip. He cited the many setbacks with players out to self-isolate or because of health and safety protocols.
Harden, however, did not believe things can im
prove, at least enough to stack up to the Lakers team that whipped the Rockets in consecutive games.
“We’re just not good enough,” Harden said. “The chemistry, talentwise, just everything,” Harden said. “It was clear. These last few games, from the beginning of the game, they were aggressive, a veteran team, obvi
ously, a championship team, one of the best teams we have in this league.”
The difference between what the Lakers showed themselves to be and what Harden wanted was, as he said, “clear.”
More than ever, so is what he wants.