“This man is supremely, physically gifted, he is mentally weak” - Skip Bayless believes that the Philadelphia 76ers are stuck with James Harden in big games
The Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night in what was the most anticipated game of the season thus far. The Wells Fargo Center was charged and hyped up as both teams went head-to-head.
The Nets badly wanted to prove their worth and send a message to James Harden and everyone else about how capable they are. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were unstoppable as they glided around the court, leading the Nets to a 129-100 victory.
As expected, Brooklyn's Ben Simmons received a harsh welcome back to Philadelphia even though he did not play.
Philadelphia's Joel Embiid was fierce and dangerous anytime he got into the paint, drawing the most free throws of the game.
But 76ers guard James Harden was a no-show as he couldn't influence the game, posting 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. It was his worst outing and his first loss since joining the 76ers.
Analyst Skip Bayless believes the guard is extremely gifted but mentally weak and said the 76ers are stuck with him for big games.
"The 76ers are stuck with James Harden in big games," Bayless said. "This man is supremely physically gifted. He is mentally weak."
On a scale of 1-10, how much do you trust James Harden in big games?
"1, no higher than that." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/be6JsfCsGD
The Philadelphia 76ers suffer their first defeat with James Harden on the court
The Philadelphia 76ers had yet to lose a game with James Harden on the court until he met with his former team and froze Thursday night. The 76ers had beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. Harden and Joel Embiid had demoralized every team they faced together.
In his first game against his former Nets, James Harden finishes with 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 turnovers on 3-of-17 shooting 😬 https://t.co/vO0pAZwyNV
But when it got to playing in a big game against his former team, Harden didn't perform. Meanwhile, the Nets got a spirited performance from their new acquisitions, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry.
Bayless insisted Brooklyn had a better deal in the trade as Curry recorded 24 points, second-best on the team.
"James has had opportunity after opportunity on the big stages with teams that were considered pretty to very good," Bayless said. "This is why the Nets stole what they got back for James Harden. Because they didn't just win the trade they won it in a rout.
"They got three starters back, including a two-time First-Team All-Defense player and a three-time All-Star and the Rookie of the Year in Ben Simmons, who hasn't played yet. But when he does, he will play. And he will be a perfect fit for the Nets right here, right now."