To say that James Harden's career is riddled with the highest of highs and bumpiest of roads is an understatement. He blazed up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, found his peak form with the Houston Rockets, moved on from the Brooklyn Nets big three, and has now found peace with his role in the Los Angeles Clippers system. Despite all the movements, The Beard will still churn out a well-rounded performance on a nightly basis. He showcased just that and joined LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook in their match against the Denver Nuggets.
James Harden became the fourth player in NBA history to record 25,000 points, 7,000 assists, and 6,000 rebounds, per Brad Turner of the LA Times. The only players to have done this are LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook. His ability to contribute to the Clippers in any way he can through all-around performances has been helping them move up the standings. They currently have a 47-win record. If they win over the Nuggets and get on an absolute heater, the Clippers will retain this spot entering the postseason.
So far, everything is going as planned for the Clippers. James Harden has 16 points on 25 minutes of action as of writing. Moreover, The Beard also dropped five assists and grabbed five boards. Everyone is contributing to help their squad score their 48th entry in the win column against the Nuggets. Despite not having Kawhi Leonard, Paul George has been dominating the win with 21 points and two assists and rebounds each. Norman Powell is also giving the Clippers a boost off the bench with 11 points, three dimes, and three boards.
The other person on the four-man list, Russell Westbrook, is also gearing up to put up a great performance. He only has 15 minutes of playing time at the moment. But, the Clippers guard has made the most out of his time facing the tough Nuggets squad. The king of the triple-double has dished out five dimes while scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds.
The Beard's Clippers campaign so far
At this point in his career, all Harden could really ask for is a Larry O'Brien trophy. He already has an MVP award and a Sixth Man of the Year nod. Moreover, his runs have gone as deep as the NBA Finals which means there is not much satisfaction in making it far but not winning it all. This is probably why he elected to join the Clippers. They have stars that could legitimately contend and overpower other squads with the talent in their personnel.
So, how has Harden been contributing to the Clippers? The first is the fact that he is acting like Iron Man this season. With the Clippers, he has played and started 68 games. The last time he was able to do that was back in his 2019-20 campaign with the Rockets. He might also surpass 70 games played in a single season which has not happened since 2018-19.
Harden has retained his efficiency in shooting while also facilitating. He finally beat the ball hog and iso-heavy allegations. The Beard knocks down shots with a 49.7% clip from the field for 16.7 points a night. His playmaking also nets the Clippers 8.5 dimes per contest. It only gets better from here for him.
Will they be ready to face teams like LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers and Nikola Jokic's Nuggets come the postseason?
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