Has Harden lost weight? Can he return to his peak form?
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76ers were eliminated by the Heat in this year’s Eastern Conference semifinals, with Harden’s poor performance sparking much discussion; now Harden has returned to the arena in Houston to train hard. Basketball coach and trainer Chuck Ellis recently posted a video on IG showing him training with Harden; the video features four or five people working out with Harden in the gym.
This season, Harden has noticeably gained weight, which may have slowed down his speed; he tends to drag the pace of the game, and no longer possesses his usual Eurostep moves or sharp breakthroughs. Now that Harden can take the initiative to lose weight and work to return to good form, this is a huge advantage for both him and the 76ers. Harden currently has a player option for next season; he can exercise this contract worth 47 million dollars and then discuss a renewal during next year’s off-season. At the same time, he can also step outside those options and negotiate a long-term contract with the 76ers or another team. Clearly, Harden has realized that he has essentially wasted his max salary this season; he needs to prove himself once again if he wants to get that max salary back.