Stephen A. says Harden's comments 'don't make for a winning formula' 🚫🏆 | First Take

I think I did pretty good.I don't grade myself off shot making.I think coming here was just a piece to fulfill whatever needs to be fulfilled.And defensively being extremely solid, offensively getting guy shots, and fitting into a system that was already in place.So I think I did good.Obviously, I could have been better.

I feel like I always could be better.But I know one thing.work extremely hard.

Cam, you okay?Stephen A., go ahead.Go ahead.Stephen A., Cam, one of you, go on.

Did he say defensively do good?I thought he did good defensively.

I didn't hear defensively.Maybe he said it maybe.Yeah, he did.He said defensively, yes.He said defensively.

Extremely solid was the phrase.Defensively been extremely solid.

Maybe I need to go back and watch the tapes of the first two rounds.I know what I saw this round.And I know that I saw him get completely destroyed by Jalen Brunson.So, just for the audience, just to edify the audience to some degree, in the first round series against the Raptors, he averaged 20 on 45 % shooting, 38 % from three.No problem there.Pistons, 19 .6 points, 38 % shooting, 29 % from three.

Conference Finals, 16 points, 39 % from the field, 18 % from three -point range.Eight clutch time games, three and five record.35 % shooting from the field, 20 % shooting from three -point range, 50 % shooting from the free -throw line.This is James Harden on Clutch Time.You know, the man has been on about five teams since 2021 or so.And he's won five playoff series in the last five years.

He's lost six of them.This was his first appearance back in the NBA in the conference finals since 2018.This is one of the prolific scorers, one of the all -time great offensive players we have ever seen in NBA history.and you just get swept in the NBA Finals, and you say, I think I played pretty good.See, if we're going to sit up there and we're going to get on Jalen Brown, who won a championship two years ago and won an NBA Finals MVP two years ago, yet we're saying to him, yo, it's not the wisest thing in the world to say 24 hours after giving up a 3 -1 lead and losing in the first round that this was your favorite season.We can't sit up there and let James Harden off the hook by sitting up there and talking about, you think you played pretty good when y 'all just got swept.

And you know good and damn well that if you did more to help Donovan Mitchell in a manner that we would expect from a James Harden, even at this age, that it would have been a better scenario for y 'all.You were also on the court when y 'all lost a 22 -point lead in the last seven minutes of game one.And so you just look at it and you find yourself flabbergasted.If not flabbergasted, Jay, You know where Howard really hit you and where it really hit you at?You know, he's got a player option that's going to pay him $42 million.And one of the things that we try to impart upon, you know, they talk about the media narrative and all of this stuff.

This is what we try to tell them.You know, there's an audience out there that we're talking to that, you know, speaks to us.They call in the radio shows.They call in the television.shows, they tweet in and all of this, let you know where they stand and how they feel.You never wanna give the impression, it's all right, that I look, if you're a fan, you wanna look and you wanna see that it hurts you just as more than it hurts the fan.

And when you hear stuff like that, you just get the impression, oh well, it happens, that's how it goes, and that's that.It's just not a, it's not a great thing for him to say.It's not the end of the world, you understand, because it is what it is, but it's not, it doesn't make for a winning formula.

James Horton, y 'all, y 'all a while, and you and J. Will, they actually won analytically, and that's how he's viewing it.He did his thing analytically.So James Horton, salute to you, even though we watched him get old, even though we, it wasn't, see the thing about it was, when he says defensively shade, I swear I had that face.And I'm sitting there saying, it wasn't just Jalen Brunson.It looked like Mike Brown told them, whoever James Harden is guarding, attack.It didn't matter if it was Sherman.

It didn't matter if it was Mikel Bridges.It didn't matter if it was Anthony Nobile.Attack.That's what it looked like.And so they just was picking on James Harden to the point where I'm like, is this James Harden that I grew up watching?Well, not unless I was growing when James Harden got there.

But I was like, watching him get old overnight really hurt.

But for him to say this, This is Kenny Iverson the analytics they they did they well they did they I'm glad to jump through the both of y 'all on the screen when I say what I'm about to say James Harden is 36 years of age.He turns 38 on 30 turns 37 in August Steph Curry is 38 years of age 38Are we looking at him getting old?But I said that in another segment, Steven.Yeah, right.What I'm saying, what I'm getting to is, listen to where I'm going, Jay.

I'm not bringing up game.This is not about game.I'm talking about the commitment.Right.Conditioning.Taking kids.

LeBron 41.Why are we looking here wondering about what he's going to do on what the Lakers should do?Because all of this stuff, y 'all threw everything at Luka Doncic.Luka Doncic is the man.Luka Doncic is this.Luka Doncic is that.

The brother 26, 27 years of age.Who was playing in the playoffs?And who wasn't?It was LeBron that was playing.It was Luka that wasn't.So in other words, when we look at cats getting old, understand they're not necessarily just getting old.

There's a level of commitment that appears to be lacking because your game is a game.Jay, I watched as you and I have talked about this on many occasions when you've debated with me and on rare occasions, you actually concede.I have a good point.When I bring this up to you, Jay, I said there's a difference between getting ready and staying ready.Always.When we look at those superstars, they don't come into the season and use the season to get ready.

They come into the season ready.Now, they may upgrade and be even more ready as the season progresses, but they ready from tip -off.They ready once it starts, because their whole stuff is, we ain't going out like that.We the marquee.So you look at James Harden.Now, you bring up analytics.

Let's bring up analytics.I got this here for you, Cam.You ready for this?Yes, sir.Let's do it.Jay, you listening?

You ready for this, Jay?Harden, in four conference finals games against the Knicks, 12 assists.Didn't he say he was passing the ball?Didn't he say passing the ball?Getting guys shut, didn't he?Ain't that what he said?

Ain't that what he said?12 assists in four games.17, 17, 17 turnovers.Oh, no, no, I'm not finished.Jalen Brunson, guarding Jalen Brunson.Let's keep this a buck here too, because there was like 60 % shooting against James Harden.

What defense?What are you talking about?Jalen Brunson, 14 to 25, 56 % against James Harden.Mikel Bridges, 83 % when guarded by James Harden, 10 to 12.What are we talking about?Wait, wait, those are analytics.

Did you bring up analytics?

I brought up analytics because the coach, that's what the coach is better than the coach.

Now, Jay, listen, come on, bro.I'm with you.I don't know what to say.There's nothing to say.I say to people, I'm brilliant because I know I'm not.I listen to those who are and I don't mind being a bit deferential.

You see, this is one of the things that pisses me off when I'm on national television and cats try to come at me.They act like I'm the only one that says something.12, 15 different people said it.Hall of Famers, former players, present players, but I say it and oh, I'm the one that's putting this out there.No, these are facts.This is what we doing.

Now that man said it.I was extremely solid defensively.Those were his words.His words.This is a 36 -year -old player who's been in the league for at least 15 years.You understand?

He's pretty damn experienced at press conferences now.You're sitting up there and you're talking about, yo, this is what I did.Really?I mean all we got to do is the one thing that I am an expert at is clicking the remote control I got DVR by the way, you know, I ain't got one of them TVs that you can't rewind and you know I tape I Rewind I watch watch watch watch watch and I'm sitting there like this.What did he say?You said cuz you know, that's what I did last night.

No, no, hold on.Wait a minute.I was sleepy.I was sleeping outside andWest Coast.We getting up at 4 .30.

I was sleepy as hell.And I went like this.I woke up.Why?What did he just say?You want that stuff from me right there?

I'm looking at the...Oh, hell to the no.I didn't just hear him say that.83 % shooting by Mikel Bridges when guarded by James Harden.56 % shooting by Jalen Brunson when guarded by James Harden.Overall, 60 % defensive efficiency, James Harden.

I'm gonna try to post it with a look up