How Much Does James Harden Have Left?
The Clippers’ championship window is open but it probably won’t be for long. Frankly, age and durability concerns will likely follow them throughout the 2025-26 regular season and beyond. Rest assured, those issues will be magnified if or when they go on an extended losing streak.
Given the questions about their age and health, the biggest question many may have about the Clippers is the same one they’ve asked year after year. Will Leonard be healthy? More to the point, will he be healthy in the playoffs, when it matters most? However, while Leonard’s ability to get through a season without a major injury is of supreme importance, so is Harden’s ability to play at an elite level.
Now 36 years old, there’s no doubt that Harden is on the decline. Yet, given where he was at the height of his powers, that’s a long way to fall. Therefore, they don’t necessarily need him to have vintage performances night-in and night-out. If he can be even 75% of the player he was with the Houston Rockets, that’s a win for Los Angeles. Nothing from last season would suggest that he can’t but Father Time is sneaky.
Ultimately, if Harden’s performances fall flat, they can turn to Paul if health permits. At the same time, Paul is even further into the twilight of his career. He also isn’t a naturally aggressive scorer. Just consider, while Harden averaged 22.8 points per game last season, Paul posted 8.8 points per game.
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