With James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, the Los Angeles Clippers expect to contend for a championship given their stars' abilities to fill the stats sheets. Currently 47-28 after a 109-95 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, the Clippers certainly have their fair share of concerns heading into the playoffs, specifically regarding Harden's overall productivity.
The Clippers are now just 11-11 since the All-Star break, and their 118.0 defensive rating in this span is the third-worst rating in the league. To make matters worse, their offense has really stalled out in recent games. Harden, who is known for being one of the best scorers of this generation, has not shot the ball well whatsoever, as Los Angeles' loss to the Kings marked the second straight game in which the former MVP made just one shot.
In their 109-95 loss, Harden scored just six points on 1-of-7 shooting, his only basket being a three-pointer in the second quarter. Harden also finished the game with eight assists, five rebounds, and five turnovers.
This recent cold stretch for Harden is certainly alarming for the Clippers, and tensions within the organization are definitely reaching a new high given the All-Star's struggles.
James Harden's honest assessment vs. Kings
In the immediate aftermath of his six-point performance against the Kings, Harden shared his thoughts on his recent struggles, claiming that it is up to him to become more aggressive.
“Just take it one game at a time,” Harden said regarding what the team needs to do the rest of the season, via Law Murray of The Athletic. “I mean, they was trapping me, so just trying to find ways to be aggressive.”
Harden has failed to score 20 or more points in 12 straight games. Over his last two games, the 10-time All-Star has scored a total of 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting and 2-of-8 from three-point range. Leonard was forced to miss Tuesday night's game against the Kings, which added pressure on Harden to step up on offense.
Unfortunately, this loss was reflective of Harden's offensive struggles that have existed throughout the entirety of the 2023-24 season.
“He's so good at getting downhill and creating,” George said of Harden, via Murray. “We just have to continue to work on the emphasis of how do we play out of that and just continue to make the right reads.”
When asked about how the team can get Harden going on offense, George simply stated that he is not the coach — “Next question.”
In a total of 68 games, all of which he has started with the Clippers, Harden has averaged 16.7 points, 8.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game. This scoring average is the lowest of Harden's career since he won the Sixth Man of the Year award with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2011-12 season. Harden is also set to average less than 10 assists per game for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
As good of a player as he was in the past, the 34-year-old still seems to be figuring out his role in Los Angeles as the No. 3 option next to George and Leonard. The Clippers must find a way to get Harden going heading into the playoffs otherwise, they will be setting themselves up for more playoff disappointment.
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