As the Cleveland Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead over the Detroit Pistons, James Harden took over and dropped 30 points to help his team.
The 36-year-old still has a lot of gas left in his tank, which now gives him a chance to have a championship run if they pull the semifinal series.
In speaking of “The Dan Patrick Show,” Jamal Crawford has been asked about his thoughts on Harden being one of the elite scorers and playmakers that the game has ever seen.
Crawford also emphasized that Harden plays differently in the playoffs, where he has the edge in the current series, especially against the Pistons, who just earned the top seed this season for the first time.
“What I witnessed with James is that sometimes he gets into a very passive state. He’s such a great playmaker, and he sets the table for everyone, and sometimes that works against you — especially when you’re in the playoffs. You need to get yourself going, but you’re trying to get others going instead.” Crawford said.
Harden’s prime days with the Houston Rockets have been discussed as well, as his pure dominance made him one of the best players in the world at that time.
“There’s no denying what he did in his prime run in Houston during the course of the regular season, his dominance, as he had in some ways mastered the game, like in some ways, in the regular season. Then the playoffs, the struggle came, and that’s why it’s a start contrast.”
Despite talking about his prime years, the 11-time All-Star was unable to win championships or make a successful playoff run.
In the show, they visited the debate between Harden and Dwayne Wade, who have similar playing positions but different accolades.
“Would you rather have a guy like Wade, who didn’t have the same peak regular seasons but had more playoff success?” Crawford asked Patrick, “Or would you say, over the course of six months, this guy dominated, and then it just didn’t go well the last month or whatever?”
Patrick said he’d pick Wade.
With all the conversations regarding Harden, he currently has the chance to prove himself to reach the championship stage this postseason.
The Cavaliers veteran guard averaged 23.6 points, 8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game this season, and now looks forward to eliminating the top-seeded Detroit in the Eastern semifinals.
