Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden still showed a degree of confidence in the team despite their absymal 5-13 start.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that the Los Angeles Clippers' nightmare 5-13 start to the season is not where the franchise should be with this roster of players at this point of the season. That’s a reality that is as frustrating for the players as it is for the fans, especially a player like James Harden, who has almost exclusively had team success throughout his career.
From the time Harden was breaking through with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the early 2010s, to his nearly decade-long stint with the Rockets as a perennial Western Conference contender, to his journey with the Brooklyn Nets where the team was arguably a Kevin Durant toe length away from a clear path at the Larry O’Brien trophy, all he has done is win in the NBA.
As the Clippers continue to tumble further and further below the .500 mark, Harden descends deeper and deeper into territory that is truly uncharted in his nearly two-decade-long NBA career. Despite that, Harden still has a significant level of confidence in his teammates and a reasonable level of belief that he and this Clippers team can improve throughout the season
“Very confident,” Harden said. “Very. But I’m a firm believer — I work my butt off every single day. Not only for myself, but for my teammates… I’ve got more than enough faith in the front office, the coaching staff, and the players to put everything together.
“I haven’t been in a losing situation before, but I haven’t been in a situation where it literally feels like everything is going against us. So this is gonna be a test to show our character and what we can do later in the season.”
Building Belief
While Harden is steadfast in his belief that he, his teammates, the Clippers’ front office and their coaching staff can figure things out this season before it’s too late, he isn’t delusional about how tough of a task that may be. Harden knows it will be a test of will for the team and he’s taking an unselfish approach to help the Clippers find success.
“This is going to be a test to show our character and what we can do later in the season,” Harden said. “I'm a professional. I've been doing it at the highest level for 17 years, so it's not really about me. It's about how can I take what I'm great at and dish it out to the entire team and make our team better. That's what it's about.”