James Harden 'doing too much to try to fit in' says LA Clippers coach Ty Lue after losing run continues

LA Clippers head coach Ty Lue said James Harden is being “too polite” after slipping to a fourth straight loss with his new team.

While Harden added that "we’re all in this together" after their latest loss.

The Clippers have not won a game since making the trade to acquire Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden’s home debut on Sunday saw the Clippers beaten 105-101 by the Memphis Grizzlies, who picked up just their second win of the season.

Harden missed six of seven three-point attempts and contributed just 11 points overall.

"He's being too polite," said Lue, who is trying to mesh Harden with the star-studded Clippers trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.

"I think he's doing too much to try to fit in. So that's on me.

"Just yesterday we had a talk amongst the team and just he has to be James Harden. He led the league in assists the last two or three years, and making plays and what he does in the pick-and-roll, he's great. So, we have to allow him to be himself.

"I think the whole group hearing that and understanding that - listen, we're going to play through James, he's going to run pick-and-rolls, he's going to make plays. They understood that. And so just letting the group hear that in front of James.

“So now he feels more comfortable, but he doesn't want to step on anybody's toes, and I understand that just to have respect for PG, Kawhi, Russ, because they've been here. But we need James to be James, and so that's on me to make sure I make him be James."

George led the Clippers scoring with 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Harden is averaging 13.5 points in his four games with the Clippers.

“I saw some intriguing things, but we got to be better,” lamented Lue.

“It wasn’t really a good flow, offensively, as far as a good flow on the offensive end. And defensively, they ran their stuff hard.

“[Grizzlies head coach] Taylor [Jenkins] has his team prepared and they play hard, they cut hard, they do everything hard. And so if you’re not matching their intensity on the offensive end, they can pick you apart.”

The Clippers will look to avoid a sixth straight loss when they face the defending champions Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

The Nuggets are top of the Western Conference with an 8-2 record.

Harden says the team is united and is trying to lift themselves and perform better.

“All of us, man, we’re all in this together,” he said.

“It’s not just one person. We’re all trying to figure it out together. So we all got positive energy, all trying to figure it out, and obviously, it’s tough losing games consecutively. But we’re all in this thing together. We know the bigger picture.”

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Houston Rockets won their sixth consecutive game with a 107-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Anthony Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds as the LA Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 116-110, and the Minnesota Timberwolves won their sixth game in a row as they beat the Golden State Warriors 116-110.

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