Burned out! Can the 36-year-old Harden make the All-Star list this season?

In this game, Leonard and Bill were absent, and then Harden gave his best performance: playing 39 minutes, 12 of 23 shots, 6 of 14 three-pointers, 5 of 6 free throws, 35 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 2 blocks. What is the concept of

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--Harden is the first player in the history of the Clippers to score 35+ triple-doubles

--Harden is also the oldest guard in NBA history to have 35+ triple-doubles in a single game

--Harden's last regular season 30+ For a triple-double, we have to go back to 2022. The perception of the game may be even more explosive than the data. The Clippers experienced ups and downs in this game. They led by nearly 20 points in the second quarter, but fell behind by 10 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Harden came on the field with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. At that time, the Clippers trailed the Hawks 79-87. Then Harden scored 19 of the team's last 23 points, and the other 4 points all came from Harden's assists. This feeling was like returning to Houston in 2019.

With 30 seconds left, the Clippers were trailing 98-105. It looked like there was no hope of a comeback, but Harden hit a 3+1 to force a lifeline;

With 12 seconds left, the Clippers were 102-105. Trailing by only 3 points and having the ball, it was a pity that Harden failed to hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc;

The Eagles made two free throws later, and the Clippers still had the possibility of a tie. Harden passed a long pass to Batum, but Batum was blocked for a three-pointer and missed overtime.

If one of these two three-pointers can be scored - especially the three-pointer Harden made himself, if he can score, this game will definitely become more different.

After losing this game, the Clippers suffered a five-game losing streak. Their current record is only 3 wins and 7 losses, ranking third from the bottom in the Western Conference. The Clippers can be said to be the most disappointing team to start this year, but Harden's performance definitely deserves recognition.

So far this season, Harden has played in a total of 9 games, averaging 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. His three shooting percentages are 45.7%/39.3%/90.9%, and his true shooting percentage is 64.3%.

For comparison, Harden played in 79 games last season, averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 41.0%/35.2%/87.4% and a true shooting percentage of 58.2%.

Pay attention to this data, so far this season:

- When Harden is on the court, the Clippers score 120.2 points per 100 possessions, a net loss of 0.8 points to their opponents

- Without Harden on the court, the Clippers score 120.2 points per 100 possessions The Clippers scored 99.7 points, with a net loss of 13.7 points against their opponents

With or without Harden, the Clippers can be said to be two completely different teams offensively. This was especially obvious in this game against the Hawks. The Clippers couldn't even find a second reliable ball-holding point in the fourth quarter.

Harden was amazing last season. With Leonard missing most of the season, George leaving, and the Clippers not being optimistic at all, he helped the team achieve a 50-win record and reach the playoffs.

Harden personally scored 40+ points four times in a single season, and also had 50+ points once. He reached his peak many times and returned to the All-Stars after three years. There is no exaggeration. Last season, Harden was the boss of the Clippers.

After his age increased by one year, I thought it would be good if Harden could maintain his form last season. Unexpectedly, Harden's performance at the beginning of this season was even better than last season. His current scoring is the highest in the past five years, his assists are the highest in the past three years, and his true shooting percentage is the highest in his career.

The reason why this situation occurs is that Harden's own condition has been maintained well. Even though he is 36 years old, he is still at an All-Star level.

On the other hand, they are forced to have no choice. The Clippers have made a lot of reinforcements during the offseason, but so far, it can only be said that there are too many things that are lower than expectations:

-Leonard suffered an ankle injury and has only played 6 games so far

-Bill is in a sluggish state, and he plays intermittently

——Paul and Bogdan were in poor condition and were directly DNPed by Tyronn Lue

If Bill, Paul, and Bogdan can all perform ideally, the Clippers' backcourt is actually very good. However, because these three people are in poor condition, now the Clippers' backcourt can only rely on Harden.

For Harden, he has really experienced too much in the past five years. Joining the Clippers is actually a very correct decision for him. In the past two years, he has proved that he is still an All-Star player. I hope he can continue his current performance and usher in the 12th All-Star in his career this season.

As for the Clippers, I can't think of any other words besides disappointment. This team has too many problems, injuries, aging players, and what cannot be ignored - Tyronn Lue's coaching and employment level.

This has been questioned by countless Clippers fans two or three years ago. If they lose again, Tyronn Lue's coaching position is probably not guaranteed. And if the Clippers fail to achieve the ideal record again this season, a complete reconstruction is possible.