The Los Angeles Clippers haven't won yet with James Harden in their active lineup, but there are a few signs that the team is starting to figure it out. They put up a spirited effort against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, after all. Nevertheless, the growing pains continue for a Clippers team that's still learning how to integrate a superstar as ball-dominant as Harden within the flow of their isolation-heavy offense.
At the very least, the Clippers aren't losing confidence in themselves even though they're one of the laughingstocks of the league early on in the season. But they, of all teams, know that while it's early in the season, they do have to figure it out, and soon. For Harden, one of the adjustments he thinks he must make to aid in that regard is to be more willing to let it fly from deep off the catch.
“[I've learned these past five games that I should] shoot the catch-and-shoots,” Harden told reporters after the Clippers' loss to the Nuggets, per Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “I haven't really had catch and shoots for real since like OKC days, so the more opportunities I get, just catch [and shoot]. I think I shoot a pretty good catch and shoot percentage as well.”
James Harden has shot more threes off pull-ups than catch-and-shoots for the majority of his career, owing to his role as his team's primary shot creator on the perimeter. Even in his first five games as a Clipper, he has shot more pull-ups, as he has gotten used to needing to dribble before hoisting up a deep shot.
Harden, due to this muscle memory he has built up over the years, has already passed up open catch-and-shoot looks as a member of the Clippers squad in favor of difficult stepback threes — which he clanked.
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sharing the offensive initiation burden, James Harden will have to settle into more of a support role, and that means having to do more role player things, such as shooting off the catch. And with Harden shooting over 40 percent on catch-and-shoot threes since the start of last season, he can definitely excel in that role as the Clippers sort out their mess moving forward.