Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden isn't worried about being tired after playing 81 games for the Houston Rockets this season, but is rather looking forward to the challenge that awaits him in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I didn’t have the personnel that I need,” Harden told ESPN's Calvin Watkins on Friday, contrasting this with last season. “Now I got some help, a little bit of help. I don’t worry about being tired. I give my all — that’s all I think about.”
The Beard missed only one practice after the All-Star break and one game with flu-like symptoms. Harden played through a jammed left wrist for roughly two weeks toward the deep end of the season, but has nursed himself close to full health for this postseason.
The Rockets talisman has been adamant on the importance of winning and playing consistently, drawing a lot of support from fans who are constant proponents of seeing their stars play day in a nightly basis.
“You talk to players, and they like to play,” head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “James is one of those guys; he doesn’t want to miss practice, doesn’t want to miss a game and it’s just he feels better when he’s playing. It’s hard to argue. If you rest him and if he plays bad, then he’s going to look at you and say, ‘Come on.’ It has to be a mutual type of thing.”
Harden is understanding that it isn't all about just showing up and playing, but rather knowing what's there to execute and doing so the best of his ability during his time on the floor.
“It’s still the intensity [of the playoffs], you have to play hard but play smart as well,” Harden said. “You can’t just be running out there clueless to what you’re doing. You have to go out there with a purpose and know what you’re trying to execute, whether it's defensively or offensively, your schemes, know your personnel, knowing your plays in a nutshell. You have to go out there and do all those things and still play hard.”
James Harden has played a combined 49 hours and eight minutes of basketball this regular season and only the course of this series will determine just how fresh his legs are as the postseason gets on a roll.
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