“Too many cooks spoil the broth”: James Harden-era Clippers dropping to 0-4 has NBA Twitter going nuts

The LA Clippers faced off against arguably the league's weakest team, the Memphis Grizzlies, on Sunday. A win would have marked the Clippers' first win in the James Harden era, but the Grizzlies emerged victorious with the final score of 105-101.

The Clippers losing all four games that Harden played has surprised fans, as they now have a 3-6 record. The first three losses during the Clippers’ “Big 4” era came in away games, and the Grizzlies game marked the first time they lost at home in this stretch.

In their most recent defeat, James Harden's performance was below average. He managed to convert only four of his 12 field goal attempts, with just one successful three-pointer out of seven attempts. Additionally, the 34-year-old committed four turnovers, finishing the game with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Fans are starting to question the viability of assembling James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook on the same team.

“Too many cooks spoil the broth,” one fan said on X (formerly Twitter).

All of the Clippers' stars struggled against Memphis. George led the team with 26 points but had seven turnovers. Leonard had 16 field-goal attempts but only made six. He finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Westbrook took 13 shots and made just five, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and four turnovers.

How rocky have James Harden’s last two years been?

James Harden solidified his status as a superstar during his time with the Houston Rockets, earning eight consecutive All-Star selections over eight full seasons with the team. He won the MVP award in 2018.

In the 2020-21 season, Harden opted out from playing for the Rockets, expressing dissatisfaction with the team's competitiveness. Midway through the season, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, forming a “Big 3” with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Nets faced elimination against the Milwaukee Bucks, playing without an injured Harden and an unavailable Irving. Despite a hard-fought series, they were eventually eliminated in seven games.

A year later, Harden sought another trade and was subsequently dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade primarily involving the discontented star Ben Simmons.

In Harden’s first season with the Sixers, the team was ousted by the Miami Heat in six games during the Eastern Conference semifinals. The following year, despite Joel Embiid's MVP-winning season, the 76ers entered the playoffs marred by injuries, ultimately resulting in another exit in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

The storyline of Harden reuniting with GM Daryl Morey in Philadelphia shifted dramatically as the two had a public falling out. Harden accused Morey, who had originally brought him to Houston, of dishonesty and said that he would not play for any team led by him.

Following extended negotiations, Morey eventually acquiesced to trade Harden to the LA Clippers, receiving in return a package that included wing players and draft picks.

James Harden's early days with the Clippers have been less than stellar, averaging 13.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in four games. He is shooting 36.8% from three and is committing 2.5 turnovers per game.