The latest segment of Shaqtin’ a Fool on NBA on TNT saw the likes of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal troll LA Clippers’ new star addition James Harden. The Clippers are 0-5 since James Harden started playing for the team and as a result, the Beard has been on the receiving end of constant criticism. Initially deemed to be a mismatch with the Clippers’ other stars, especially Russell Westbrook, Shaq’s show had Harden as its “number 1” ‘fool’ of the week.
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The episode saw the TNT analysts make fun of a number of clips involving James Harden from recent games, including an airball 3-pointer attempt that he produced late in the loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. Another clip from the same game saw him being denied a floater, while the third one saw him fake a run which triggered a pass. However, Harden stopped running suddenly which meant that the ball did not reach him and ended up being a turnover.
The 4th clip saw him dawdle from across the 3-point line on the left corner. The 2018 MVP eventually decided to play a pass across the court which ended up going out of bounds. Finally, the TV screen turned to a disappointed Tyronn Lue who only recently claimed that Harden was trying too much in order to fit in with the rest of the squad.
Of course, Shaq, as usual, had a couple of hilarious comments on the situation. “Warning, the Harden system does not include playing winning basketball. He ain’t Harden yet, he’s James right now,” the Diesel said, referring to Harden’s recent claims that he was not a system player, but rather a system in himself. The former 76ers star had claimed that he only needed people around him to trust him and be willing to make adjustments in order to succeed.
That appears to be exactly what has happened with the Clippers, until now. Whether the 34-year-old can repay it by playing the way he is expected to, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, he will probably have to withstand all the trolling on TV. For example, Shaq continuously saying, “I’m a system, Ernie“, throughout the segment.
James Harden is determined to return to his best
Harden has reiterated multiple times in the last few weeks that he needs time to get back to his best form. The three-time scoring champion showed a slight improvement in form in the loss against the Denver Nuggets.
Going 7-15 with his shooting overall, Harden converted three of his eight 3-point attempts and ended with 21 points and 4 assists. He was his team’s 2nd highest scorer on the night and claimed after the game that the game was a step in the right direction.
During a recent interview, Harden again talked about how he did not have a training camp or a preseason this year, and will obviously need time in order to return to his best. While that makes sense, most fans might be tempted to only believe James Harden when they see him at his best, considering the way things have gone in recent months.
