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 a night last season, Harden became the focal point of team defensive schemes due to Kawhi Leonard sitting 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 merely 37 games due to him rehabbing from a knee procedure he had over 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 their 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 as he was last 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 however, 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.”