UPDATE: Harden is available tonight vs. the Knicks.
Do you realize how durable 35-year-old James Harden has been this season? He’s only sat out three games in 2024-25, the most recent of which came all the way back on January 22. To put this all into some context, Harden is currently on pace to exceed 75 starts for the first time since 2018-19. All that to say, it’s notable that the former All-Star has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s tilt against the Knicks.
It’s difficult to draw too many conclusions from that late January loss the Celtics that Harden missed. First and foremost, that defeat was without the services of Kawhi Leonard or Norman Powell. Secondly, that tilt came before the trade deadline, meaning the Clippers had a very different roster and rotation.
Since the beginning of February, with Harden off the court, Powell leads Los Angeles with a 32.7% usage rate. He’s followed closely by Leonard at 29.0%. Both would play huge roles on Wednesday if Harden is eventually ruled out. Meanwhile, Ben Simmons would be a candidate to start at point guard. Simmons has yet to be included in the starting five as a member of the Clippers, but he did register 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists the lone time he’s logged more than 25 minutes with the team. There’s some upside in the former first-overall pick.
