Forced To Carry the Clippers’ Load Due To Kawhi Leonard, James Harden’s Role ‘Redefined’ For 2025-26

At age 36, James Harden can’t be expected to carry the load of an entire offense on his shoulders. Averaging 22.8 points and 8.7 assists last season, he became the focal point of team defensive schemes since Kawhi Leonard was forced to sit out most of the year. The 2025-26 season, however, is going to be a bit different, according to head coach Tyronn Lue.

Harden played 79 games last year, averaging over 35 minutes a night. Kawhi, on the other hand, played just 37 games, missing action due to rehabbing after a knee procedure he had in the 2024 offseason.

While Leonard did get himself back into form rather quickly (even ending the regular season with a 33-point statement against the Warriors), it was Harden who kept the ship afloat. LAC fought its way to 50 wins under his command. Fast-forward to this season’s media day, Ty Lue has confirmed that James will not be burdened as much this season.

“We don’t want that,” said Lue. “He just had to do too much for us to be successful.”

While Harden is certainly used to being an ‘every-man’ for teams that he’s been on, gassing him out before the Playoffs even start isn’t wise. This doesn’t mean that the Clippers won’t rely on him when it matters.

“There’s going to be games where he has to do that, but I think the last 25 games of the season when Kawhi came back, I think we were No. 2 in offense and No. 1 in defense,” added Lue.

Tyronn Lue on reducing James Harden’s workload this upcoming Clippers season:

“We don’t want that. Yeah, we don’t want that. I think we had to, but he just had to do too much for us to be successful to try to win games, to try to stay afloat while Kawhi was out. So we don’t want… pic.twitter.com/6Epo51DxVA

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 2, 2025

When asked last year during the Playoffs about playing heavy minutes, James had remained nonchalant. He accepted the onus of responsibility on himself.

“It is what it is. It’s a part of it. So, whatever the team needs — 47, 48, overtime, whatever — I’m willing to do it,” Harden had said after Game 6 of their first-round playoff against the Nuggets last season.

Kawhi now enters the coming season looking spry and much healthier than before. He’s confirmed that he doesn’t feel the need to constantly check with the doctor or a rehab specialist on what he can and can’t do while playing.

With new acquisitions John Collins and Bradley Beal injecting LAC with newfound fire, it’ll be interesting to see a fully healthy Clips squad firing on all cylinders. That is, of course, assuming that Kawhi doesn’t find himself in any cap circumventing hot water.