In an imaginary world where the LA Clippers would have had another superstar in place of James Harden this season, the team would have most likely been in the play-in tournament around the 40-win range. This is not a horrible outcome, considering the amount of time Kawhi Leonard spent recovering. Yet, it shows how much effort and work Harden put in to celebrate 50 out of 82, which translates to a win percentage of 61.0%.
Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac were pivotal and deserve credit, but Harden is the one who dished them the ball, making their career jumps easier. He saw hundreds of double-teams throughout the season, and amid a fight to overcome them all, the former MVP averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.
Notably, Harden had all the first-option pressure, and yet his body defied every ounce of it, averaging over 35 minutes across 79 contests. This is absurd and extremely rare, as the only other veteran superstar who could match his consistent availability at 35 is LeBron James.
That said, Harden may not be able to do the same next season, and that has led Bleacher Report to announce the Clippers’ most significant offseason nightmare.
Bleacher Report accurately picks the LA Clippers’ primary offseason fear, and it correlates to how hard James Harden has to work
Although the LA Clippers have worries about not landing a third superstar, adjusting their bench, or adding a quality second-string center, Bleacher Report mentions the front office must first ease the chip on James Harden’s shoulders. He will be 36 before the season opener and could run his knees into the ground if he has to do what he did this season during the next one (2025-26).
Moreover, even with Kawhi Leonard healthy on day one, the best way to help Harden is by signing or trading for a guard with a similar skill set. An experienced talent who can facilitate without committing reckless turnovers will allow the superstar to take reasonable breaks mid-game.
This description sounds like Chris Paul in a nutshell, and the Clippers may sign him this summer using the mid-level exception if he would like to reunite. Additionally, he is the closest playmaker the free agency market has to Harden.
Furthermore, Paul remains the same floor general he has always been, but this season, the 39-year-old showed he has the same durability as Iron Man, averaging 28.0 minutes in 82 games.
Signing Paul would eliminate much of the regular-season demand LA asks of Harden.