Dissatisfied superstar James Harden said the Houston Rockets are “just not good enough” after the team’s second straight loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, adding that he doesn’t believe the team can improve enough to be a contender. to be.
“I love this town. I literally did everything I could,” Harden said after losing the Rockets 117-100. ‘I mean, this situation is insane. It’s something I don’t think can be resolved. ‘
It’s the closest Harden has come to the stock market with trading demand that sources said he’d done during the off-season.
Houston has had trade talks with several teams but is determined to remain patient until the asking price for Harden is reached, a source told ESPN.
The Rockets (3-6) have lost four out of five games since Harden, who held out during the start of the training camp, returned from a right ankle sprain that caused him to miss one game. He has scored 20 points or less in each of the past four games, his longest trajectory since 2011-12, his last season with Oklahoma City Thunder, according to research from ESPN Stats & Information.
This loss was especially uncompetitive as the Rockets lagged 35-14 at the end of the first quarter.
“To be honest, we’re not even close to that team – the defending champions of course – and all the other elite teams out there,” said Harden. “I mean you can see the difference in these last two games.
“We’re just not good enough – chemistry, talent, just everything. And it was clear these last two games.”