The Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers are set to face off in the first round of the playoffs. But before the action starts, interim Nuggets coach David Adelman heaped praise on the player who might be the biggest threat in the upcoming series. He compared James Harden to NFL icons Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
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Adelman recently took over as the interim coach after Michael Malone was shockingly fired. Speaking ahead of the matchup, Adelman praised Harden’s intelligence and control.
The Clippers’ point guard is like the quarterback of the team. The comparison makes sense. Just like a quarterback, the point guard runs the offense. Harden reads defenses, adjusts plays, and creates openings. While he might not have the same speed as some of the other players on the floor, Harden dominates the game with his IQ and timing.
Adelman said, “He reminds me, at his age now, as some of the great drop-back quarterbacks. A Peyton Manning, a Tom Brady, where they’ve seen it all and they decipher things so fast. It’s almost like he’s in slow motion.”
Nuggets head coach David Adelman on James Harden:
"He reminds me of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady" pic.twitter.com/fhrq3rYUVP
— ᴀᴄʜ™🌐 (@StepbackAch1) April 17, 2025
Post All-Star break, Harden is averaging 8.9 assists per game. He is leading the overall chart for most assists to a teammate this season, with 209 assists to Ivica Zubac. He is far ahead of Nikola Jokic in the second position, who made 168 assists to Christian Braun. So, not only has Harden become the best facilitator, but his reading of the opposition’s defense is turning Zubac into an incredible finisher.
Most AST to a teammate this season:
209 — James Harden to Ivica Zubac
168 — Nikola Jokic to Christian Braun
155 — Nikola Jokic to Michael Porter Jr
146 — Russell Westbrook to Nikola Jokic pic.twitter.com/VxKw49xr07— Polymarket Hoops (@StatMamba) April 17, 2025
Back in 2017, when Harden met Mike D’Antoni for the first time, he was told that he would turn him into a point guard. Harden was confused. However, the numbers now prove his point. “Our first meeting, he told me, I’m going to make you point guard. I looked at him like, What are you talking about? He told me I was going to average 15 assists a game, and I looked at him crazy,” Harden said.
Until 2016, Harden’s season high assist average was 7.5; the following year, he averaged 11.2 assists per game. From 2020-2023, he averaged nearly 11 assists per game for the entire season. With the playoff series approaching, he’ll have to live up to his role once again to take his team past the Denver Nuggets.
