"James Harden disappeared completely from the face of the earth" - Kendrick Perkins revisits OKC Thunder's 2012 NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat

James Harden has been one of the best scorers in the league for a long time now. He started his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he played third fiddle to Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. However, his role on the team was of huge importance. The guard was a vital part of the young group in OKC that made it to the NBA Finals in 2012.

However, in the all-important finals, James Harden looked short of his best as had a forgettable series against the Miami Heat. The 6-foot-5 bailed out when it mattered the most and this was a huge factor in their 4-1 loss to the LeBron-led Heat team. After nine years, Harden's teammate Kendrick Perkins opened up on the 2012 finals and how The Beard's failure to deliver during the finals cost the Thunder the championship. Speaking about the same in an interview with the YouTube channel, Forgotten Seasons, Perkins said:

"The series tied 1-1, we get back to Miami and South Beach get a hold to us. James Harden disappeared completely off the face of the earth when he needed him the most. His numbers in the finals were mind-boggling. I don't know what it was, but I know he just wasn't there and so when you go back and even look at KD and Russ numbers, they delivered."

This statement from Kendrick Perkins makes sense when we look at James Harden's stats from the finals. The Beard averaged 12.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.6 APG throughout the five games against the Heat. He shot a dismal 37.5% from the field and only converted 1.4 of the 4.4 attempted three's.

How important was James Harden to the Oklahoma City Thunder?

San Antonio Spurs v Oklahoma City Thunder - Game Six

James Harden was having one of the best years of his career with OKC during the 2011-12 season. He averaged 16.8 PPG during the regular season, shooting at an efficient 49.1 % from the field- Harden's best shooting efficiency in his career. His ability to come off the bench and make those big plays won him praise from NBA experts.

James Harden was also announced as the 6th man of the year during OKC's run to the finals. However, his performances dipped when it mattered the most. He shot extremely poorly from the field and also failed to support Westbrook and Durant to make something count against the Miami Heat.

Other than a 21 point performance in Game 2, James Harden failed to register a single effective performance that added to the misery of the Thunder. Speaking about the importance of Harden, Perkins said:

"Going against Bosh, Wade, LeBeron and all the bets around them, we needed James to be the best version of himself and he just wasn't. That third piece was missing and you know the way we had established ourselves as a team. We got our hats on that big three, getting the job done offensively. This is who we were the entire season. So we really didn't have room for any one of those guys to slip up and James actually slipped up."

Post that series, James Harden moved out of the Thunder and found himself a starting spot in the Houston Rockets line-up. From there on, he never looked back, as he went on to win multiple scoring titles and also became the MVP in 2018. Despite all the personal laurels, Harden won in his time with the Rockets. His trip to the finals with OKC in 2012, remains the only time he has reached that far in the post-season.

Harden is currently one of the most essential parts of the Brooklyn Nets. He will be hoping for a stellar season with them and make another trip to the NBA finals to make things right from a forgetful campaign in 2012

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