Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden might have to play himself into peak condition when the regular season begins next week.
On the latest episode of The Hoop Collectivepodcast (starts at 25:40 mark), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained that Clippers scouts have said Harden “is not even in that great of shape” right now:
“I think the Clippers look spectacular. I thought they looked spectacular down the stretch last year. And I know that they made some changes to their roster. And I know that they’re older and they’re going to have injuries. And look, James Harden is actually not even in that great of shape. That’s one of the things that the scouts have said, is that Harden has been in better shape at this point. But Kawhi looks fabulous.”
The results for Harden in the preseason have left a lot to be desired. He averaged 6.0 points on 36.8 percent shooting, 7.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game in three starts.
It’s not a huge surprise that Harden is not in peak shape going into the regular season. He admitted two years ago that he was playing himself into “James Harden shape,” though that was also when his offseason and preseason schedule was out of whack due to his standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Even starting that season missing time early until he was traded to the Clippers and not being in peak shape, Harden still played in 72 games. He averaged 16.6 points on 38.1 percent three-point shooting and 8.5 assists per contest.
While the 36-year-old may not be at his peak at this point of his career, Harden is still one of the best players of his generation when he is healthy and on the floor.
His resume includes the 2017-18 MVP, three scoring titles, two assist titles, eight All-NBA selections, 11 All-Star Game nods and a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, but it is missing a championship.
The Clippers have backcourt reinforcements if Harden needs more rest in games early in the season. They have Chris Paul, Kriss Dunn and Bradley Beal on the roster.
Harden and the Clippers will open the 2025-26 regular season on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
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