"James Harden gotta get himself going. James Harden wanna win a championship, he gotta be a vital part of that [Clippers] offense. He has to be consistent. Him — no disrespect — and [Paul George] sometimes they disappear in the playoffs." 🗣️ Shaq
The Los Angeles Clippers were able to outlast the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, defeating the reigning champions 102-100.
James Harden was a big part of the team's victory, scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists during the match.
Following the game, Shaquille O'Neal praised Harden and his teammate, Paul George (who had 28 points during the game), but cautioned that they need to remain in good form in the weeks ahead.
"James Harden gotta get himself going," O'Neal said. "James Harden wanna win a championship, he gotta be a vital part of that [Clippers] offense. He has to be consistent. Him — no disrespect — and [Paul George] sometimes they disappear in the playoffs."
The concept of Harden and George disappearing during the playoffs isn't new. This has been a complaint leveled at them many times before throughout their NBA careers. While George has a bad tendency to get hurt in the postseason, Harden has a bad reputation for gassing out in the final months of the year and not being able to compete with his team.
That will have to change this year because this Clippers team is looking very good and are fully healthy and currently have a good shot at going far in the playoffs. But if that is going to happen, it'll require both Harden and George to play at high levels against some very tough opponents.
Consistency has been a problem for the Clippers lately but if they are going to have a postseason to remember, they need Harden and George to continually step up.
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