The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder’s playoff matchup has been a gripping one. At first, it looked like the Rockets would be going for a clean sweep, but OKC bounced back from a 2-0 deficit. Although, it’s fair to say that the Rockets’ players were under a lot of pressure to lead the team. With their star guard Russell Westbrook out, all the offensive burden fell on James Harden. He and Eric Gordon were expected to fill in for Westbrook’s contribution, which they pulled through in the first two games but were unable to after.

However, is it fair to ask players to pull off great performances in every single game?

Is it fair to put James Harden through so much pressure?

On the Dan Patrick Show, Charles Barkley and Dan had a detailed discussion on this pressure aspect. At first, Charles agreed that this kind of pressure exists and complimented Harden and said, “James is the best one-on-one player I’ve probably ever seen… This guy is unstoppable one-on-one but the problem is you always get tired.”

Dan Patrick agreed that such players need to carry this pressure every single night and how people don’t realize the effort that goes into doing well every game.

Trending

Billionaire Michael Jordan’s $61 Million Arrival in Talladega Saw Unusual Absence of Wife Yvette Prieto

April 22, 2024 03:36 PM EDT

Anthony Davis Storms Out Of Press Conference While De’Angelo Russell Takes NBA Refs To Task Online

April 23, 2024 07:51 AM EDT

What Happened to Kenny Smith’s Legs? Unfolding the Sad Truth Behind TNT Host’s Dodgy Knees

April 22, 2024 08:05 PM EDT

“Mom Was On Her Death Bed”: Mavs Star Dereck Lively Narrates Painful Aftermath Of Late Mother’s Demise

April 23, 2024 09:33 AM EDT

What Happened To Daniel Gafford? Mavs Star’s Painful Walk To Locker Room Strikes Fear in Dallas Camp

April 24, 2024 04:27 AM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

However, Barkley believes that this comes with being the star player. “You have to do it every single night. You think about it, LeBron had a bad game and they still beat Portland… James Harden is the only player in the NBA, who has to play great for his team to win every night because he has the ball 100 percent of the time,” said Barkley.

“He has to play great every single night. There’s no other player in the NBA, who has to play great for their team to win.”

When Dan argued that Luka Doncic is also one such player for the Dallas Mavericks, Barkley said, “The other day when he scored 40 points, that was fantastic.

But if he got 25 points, they could still win. Just, in my opinion, James has to get a minimum of 30 a night for that team because like he’s the guy, especially with no Russ.” 

Do the Houston Rockets stand a chance?

As of now, the season has been suspended and the answers to these questions will also be on hold till then.