In the long history of the NBA, there have always been players who are underestimated by people. Even if they retire on the spot without playing, their achievements in the past are enough to leave a significant mark in the annals of NBA history! This season, the league's landscape has undergone a huge change, with the former pillars of the league gradually growing old and losing control over the game! The current league is now ruled by players at the peak of their careers such as Jokic, Alexander, Doncic, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum, while young talents like Wembanyama, Banchero, Edwards, Cunningham, Morant, etc., are already eager to seize the baton! Among them, there is one player who, at the age of 36, continues to make significant changes for victory in pursuit of his ultimate dream. He is none other than Harden, the absolute core of the Clippers!
This season, Harden has led this team of underdogs to the top six in the West, which is an incredible feat! At the age of 36, Harden has changed his previous approach to the game, making this season the one where he has invested the most energy into defense throughout his career! This is also the main reason why the Clippers can achieve a record of 21 wins and 17 losses this season. Leading by example, Harden spares no effort to participate in defense whenever he is on the court! As a result of his defensive efforts, the team wins more games, but his personal offensive statistics and efficiency decline. Due to the extra physical exertion on defense, his average turnovers this season have reached 4.7! Throughout the journey with the Clippers, Harden has delivered a series of outstanding performances. On October 27th, in the victory against the Nuggets, Harden scored 23 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 17 assists, setting a new high for assists in his Clippers career. Last season, Harden made too many sacrifices, but now that he has regained control of the team, he is once again one of the top playmakers in the league!
On November 1st, in the game against the Clippers, Harden scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 13 assists with 2 steals and 2 blocks. With this performance, Harden's career scoring surpassed 26,000 points, making him the fourth guard in NBA history to achieve this milestone. He also recorded his 78th triple-double in the regular season, surpassing Doncic to rank seventh in history. On November 18th, in the game against the Jazz, Harden played three quarters, shooting 6 for 13 and 2 for 8 from beyond the arc, scoring 18 points, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. With these two three-pointers, Harden's career total three-pointers reached 2,975, surpassing Ray Allen to become second in NBA history, only behind the "God of Three-Pointers" - Curry! On November 28th, in the away victory against the Wizards, Harden was hot in the first half, shooting 11 for 15 and exploding for 31 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists. This is the 29th time in his career that he has scored over 30 points in a half, surpassing Kobe Bryant to become the first in NBA history! On December 17th, in the victory against the Jazz, Harden erupted again, scoring a comprehensive stat line of 41 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. This is the 69th time in his career that he has scored at least 40 points and hit at least 5 three-pointers in a single game, becoming the most in NBA history!
On January 14th, in the game against the Heat, Harden created two major milestones, setting an NBA record! In this game, Harden played 37 minutes, shooting 9 for 17 and 6 for 10 from three-point range, scoring 26 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out 11 assists, with 1 steal and 1 block. With this steal, Harden's career total steals in the regular season reached 1,649, officially surpassing the legendary star Barkley's 1,648 to become the 27th in NBA history! In this game, Harden scored 26 points, had 11 assists, and hit 6 three-pointers, this is the 63rd game in Harden's career where he has scored at least 25 points, had 10 assists, and hit 5+ three-pointers, setting a historic record in the NBA! Behind him are Curry with 42 games and Trae Young with 39 games! This season, after gaining possession of the ball, Harden has also changed his attitude towards the game, shedding the bad habit of poor defense that was criticized, and leading the Clippers to this position is enough to prove his excellent leadership abilities!
Now, the pressure is on Leonard's side, as Harden has done everything in his power to create a solid foundation for him! Leonard has returned and played three games, still in the process of finding his form! Looking back at Leonard's years with the Clippers, in his first season, he played 57 games and missed 25; in his second season, he played 52 games and missed 30; in his third season, he was directly sidelined for the entire 82-game season; and in his fourth season, he played only 52 games and missed another 30! Last season, being a contract year, he had a good attendance record, playing 68 games. With his excellent performance, the Clippers also showed championship potential, and Ballmer did not hesitate to offer him a top-tier contract worth $152 million over 3 years! However, as the regular season neared its end and the Clippers' record was basically set, they chose to let him rest his knees. Unexpectedly, this decision led to a recovery period that lasted for more than half a year, and the Clippers were unfortunately eliminated in the first round last season! When healthy, Leonard is still one of the top stars in the league, but over the years, his endless injury management has caused both the team and fans to lose patience with him!
This season is undoubtedly his last chance to prove himself again. The team has not forced him to return prematurely, instead, they have repeatedly delayed his return according to his own rehabilitation plan. As a teammate, Harden has led this team to the extreme and laid a solid foundation for him. If, under such circumstances, Leonard still cannot step up and lead the Clippers to compete for the highest honor, then he really has no hope, and his $152 million contract will become one of the worst contracts in NBA history! Whether it's the Clippers' management or from the perspective of Harden and the Clippers' players, they have left no stone unturned to pave the way for you. You are already 34 years old, and from any angle, you have no way out. Come on, Leonard!