With Kawhi Leonard sidelined indefinitely for the Clippers, James Harden has stepped up as the lead guard for the team. His efforts have kept the LA side afloat with a 9-7 record, which places them in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. In the early stages of the 2024-25 season, Harden has given glimpses of his MVP-caliber years with the Houston Rockets.
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This made his former Clips teammate, Paul George, reflect on the veteran guard’s outstanding scoring ability during his Houston years. PG also ended up highlighting an overlooked aspect of the Clippers star’s game.
On Monday, Harden surpassed Ray Allen to take the second spot on the list of most three-pointers made all-time. The incredible feat once again placed the focus on JH’s legacy as a scorer. The Rockets became one of the best offensive teams of all time under ‘The Beard’.
However, George highlighted on ‘Podcast P’ how Harden’s outstanding passing ability is criminally underrated. He said,
“Everybody knows he’s a great passer, but when you think of him, they don’t necessarily think of him first as a passer… Playing with him, he could pass the ball like no other. Put the ball on the money, right in your pocket, and you’re ready to shoot.”
Harden is mostly recognized as one of the best scorers in league history, and quite deservedly so. From December 13, 2018, to February 21, 2019, Harden averaged a ridiculous 41.1 points per game, which is just insane even by today’s standards. He concluded the 2018-19 season averaging a staggering 36.4 points per game. No wonder people overlooked his passing.
But the 35-year-old has averaged 7.1 assists per game in his prolonged career, recording an average of 10 assists per game or more in six seasons. But it turns out, nobody cares about your passing when you’re registering all-time numbers every night.
Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni’s offensive philosophy was predicated on pace and space. Harden’s isolation ability unlocked the success of the team on multiple fronts. The team surrounded him with shooters, which opened up the court entirely.
In addition, whether it was Dwight Howard or Clint Capela, the presence of a rim-running big made it nearly impossible to guard Harden in the pick-and-roll. He either drew a foul or threw a pinpoint pass for an alley-oop dunk.
George’s words of praise for Harden stemmed from first-hand accounts. During PG’s tenure with the Thunder, he went up against the Rockets in Harden’s prime. The two eventually became teammates for a season with the Clippers in 2023-24.
