James Harden's preseason debut proved he was not bluffing

There is little question that the LA Clippers still have enough star talent to at least be relevant in the Western Conference. We can debate all day about if they can truly go far in the playoffs, but a core of veteran stars like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden is likely to ensure they have a high floor as a group.

The only problem here is that both Kawhi and James are a bit on the older side at this point in the game. What that could mean in Leonard's case is increased risk for injury, with the entire team having to consider just how available he will be this season. His ability to be present on the court will go a long way toward determining if the Clippers can exceed expectations.

For Harden, it means his game looking like a simplified version of the one we all saw when he was dominating the league with the Houston Rockets. For the last four years or so, Harden's point totals have been down, and his on-court performance has looked drastically different from the 2016-2020 version of Harden that finished top-three in MVP voting every year.

Being not as much of a game-changer as he once was, many have doubted how much James can truly elevate this Clippers team. But at media day this past week, Harden was quick to silence those questioning where he was at physically. He boldly claimed that at the start of the season, he would be in the best shape he has been in "in five, six, seven years."

Harden claimed to be in his best shape in years

James also stated that he didn't really care to talk too much about it, but that he just wanted to go out and show it. He got his first opportunity to do so on Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors in LA's preseason opener, and it is safe to say he backed up his claim.

In just 17 minutes of game action, James put up 13 points and eight assists, while getting to the free throw line eight times. But more importantly, he routinely looked sharp and even like he had an extra pep in his step that perhaps was not as frequently present before.

This all makes a lot of sense. Harden was heading into the 2023-24 season a year ago without a training camp under his belt. He then proceeded to play out the season without a proper tune-up, leading to just an okay season in Los Angeles by his standards.

But his performance in the first preseason contest proves that this time around, he was not bluffing about being in great shape whatsoever. If Harden is getting back to being a closer version of his MVP candidate self, it could change the entire equation for the Clippers.