Subscribe
Follow Us
James Harden hasn't been his usual dominant self in the Philadelphia 76ers' playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, and Kendrick Perkins thinks he knows why.
Harden has already two games in the series where he made more turnovers than field goals (Games 2 and 5), and he hasn't been as effective when it comes to his usual weapons–going 0-for-10 on floaters so far. He is also shooting 36.8 percent on 2-point field goals, which is the second-worst in the playoffs so far.
Considering that he played relatively well for the Sixers in the regular season, it is worth wondering why he is struggling. For Perkins, though, Father Time has caught up with Harden.
In a rather ominous message for Philly fans as well, Big Perk went as far as to predicting that the Harden fans are seeing today will be the same player they'll be watching moving forward, even if the Sixers make it pass the Raptors in the first round.
“Father Time hits every player at a different time in their career. I think Father Time has caught James Harden right now in front of our very own eyes,” Kendrick Perkins said in the latest episode of NBA Today on ESPN.
“When I look at James Harden, he doesn't have the speed or the explosiveness to get by guys. He's not able to get to the rim and finish through contact. He's not even able to get separation to get his 3-point shot off. I get it, everybody wants to say Doc Rivers needs to put him in a position to be successful, but at the end of the day, James Harden has the ball in his hands. They're running pick-and-roll actions, he's having isolation plays, what other position can you put him in to go out there and succeed? Right now, the game has caught up to James Harden. … This is the James Harden we are going to see from here on out.
After the Sixers jumped to a 3-0 series lead, they have now lost two straight and are in real danger of getting knocked out of the playoffs if they further collapse.
Joel Embiid clearly can't do it alone, and while second-year guard Tyrese Maxey is doing well to support the big man, the Sixers need Harden to step up and share the scoring load. The Beard just isn't a threat for the Raptors right now, and that must change if the Sixers want to prevent an absolute embarrassment.
It's too early to say if Father Time has really caught up to Harden or if it's just a rough patch that he'll eventually get over with, but time is running out for him to prove himself.
For what it's worth, even Skip Bayless believes Father Time is the reason Harden is struggling, noting that he's looking like an old man right before everyone's eyes.
