Houston Rockets guard James Harden spoke openly to reporters after the Rockets lost 117 to 100 at home to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Harden, who finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists, said the Rockets are not good enough.
“I love this city,” said Harden. “I literally did everything I could. I mean, this situation is crazy. It is something that I think cannot be fixed.”
In Tuesday’s defeat, Harden played his fourth game, where he scored 20 points or less. This is Harden’s longest break since the 2011-12 season, when he played with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Harden is aware that the Rockets continue to discuss exchange scenarios with the teams, although no deal is imminent. Houston’s asking price remains high for negotiations involving Harden.
Newly acquired Rockets playmaker John Wall, who finished with 10 points and five assists in the game, said chemistry is influencing the problems of the Rockets’ early season.
“When you have certain guys who don’t want to buy, it’s difficult,” said Wall.
Although the Rockets’ chemistry problems were a problem, Wall did not hesitate to build a relationship with Harden.
“It’s been a little difficult, I’m not going to lie about it,” said Wall. “I don’t think it was the best it could be. That’s all I can say.”
Harden has an average of 26 points (10th in the league) in 37 minutes of action. He also leads the league with an average of 11 assists per game.
Houston (3-6) is one place from last place in the Western NBA Conference. The Rockets are also 3-3 at home and have lost two consecutive games.
The Rockets return to action on Thursday on the road against the San Antonio Spurs, a team that won 112 to 102 on the road on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.