D'Antoni cites exhaustion for James Harden's lackluster play vs. Spurs

One of the biggest surprises during the NBA playoffs was the San Antonio Spurs defeating the Houston Rockets without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker in the West Semifinals.

With both Leonard and Parker missing, many expected Houston to extend the series to force a Game 7 in San Antonio. However, LaMarcus Aldridge posted 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Jonathon Simmons added 18 points to lead the Spurs to an emphatic 114-75 victory.

James Harden received heavy criticism for not being able to step up with the odds heavily in his team's favor. Instead, he finished the game with only 10 points, seven assists and three rebounds.

Mike D'Antoni, head coach of the Rockets, was asked to recap the team's season and had this to say regarding Harden in the Spurs series.

"As the series went on, I just thought he ran out of steam. We asked so much of him and he's human."

To get him more help, the Rockets exchanged Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Sam Dekker to the Los Angeles Clippers for Chris Paul this offseason. The team handed him one hefty pay raise too!

The move ultimately takes some pressure off Harden by allowing him to play off the ball. However, this was by far his best season, where he primarily played point guard. It will be interesting to see how Houston tries to make this pairing work.

Twitter: @OhMarquez