Despite losing nine-time All-Star Paul George over the summer and being without six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard all season so far, the Los Angeles Clippers have been a pleasant surprise in the Western Conference, going 14-10 through 24 games.
The play of former NBA MVP James Harden has certainly been a reason why. One opposing head coach explained that Harden is playing a role that he “thrives” in.
“This is a type of role that James thrives in,” the head coach told ESPN. “One of the reasons Norm Powell [career-high 23.9 points per game] is having such a good season is Harden is getting him the ball where he can attack.”
Harden is reportedly being praised within the Clippers organization for his “leadership” and “offensive impact.” Meanwhile, the 10-time All-Star is reportedly making sleep a priority as he continues to play in the NBA at the age of 35.
“Almost universally within the Clippers, Harden is getting praised for his leadership and offensive impact back in his old familiar role as the focus of an offense,” wrote ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “His usage rate has increased 50% from last season to his highest since his MVP-caliber seasons with the Houston Rockets. His scoring is up six points per game from last season. Harden has played every game so far, and there have been a lot of them; the Clippers have played the most games in the league.
“People close to Harden told ESPN he’s dedicated to getting the most sleep of his life as he manages playing at age 35, and people close to the Clippers said Harden’s developing bond with new assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy has aided the guard’s daily preparation. Harden is known for enjoying life off the court, and still does, but team personnel told ESPN he pours in the work on the floor and is often a positive influence in getting teammates, especially center Ivica Zubac, into the gym for extra work.”
As Windhorst implied, it’s been several years since Harden’s usage was this high. His current usage rate of 30.3 percent is his highest since the 2019-20 season, when he was still with Houston and finished third in MVP voting.
Harden may be shooting just 37.9 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from deep, but he’s making up for it in other ways. He’s done an efficient job of getting to the charity stripe and hitting his free throws, which is part of the reason he’s averaging 21.6 points per game. Moreover, he’s been good for 6.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per contest, both better than his career averages.
The Clippers did just suffer a blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but their overall record of 14-10 has them as the No. 6 team in the West, meaning they’d earn an outright playoff bid if the regular season ended today.
Leonard is expected to return before Christmas, which should only help matters in Los Angeles. He’ll look to get back on the floor and stay healthy, something he has struggled to do during his time with the Clippers.
It’s unclear if the squad has the pieces it needs to make a serious run at an NBA Finals appearance, but there are certainly reasons to be happy about what the Clippers have shown so far this season, and Harden has had a major hand in it. If his sleep habits have helped, then some other players around the NBA may want to take notice.
L.A. will return to action this weekend with a game against the Houston Rockets at home.
