The 36-year-old Harden s condition is worrying! The preseason shooting rate was less than 37%, and scouts said it was not as good as the same period in the past.

On October 18, Clippers guard James Harden may need to gradually adjust to his best condition through games after the regular season starts next week. In the latest podcast, ESPN reporter Windhorst revealed that NBA scouts said that Harden is currently "not in good condition."

"I think the Clippers look very good overall, and their performance in the second half of last season was very impressive. I know they have made some adjustments to the lineup, and I also know that the team is older and may face injury problems. . And to be honest, Harden's current condition is actually not good-scouts mentioned that Harden was in much better condition at this stage in the past. However, Leonard's condition looks great."

Harden's performance in the preseason was indeed unsatisfactory. He started 3 games, averaging 6.0 points per game, shooting 36.8% from the field, and averaging 7.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Harden is not in the best condition when the regular season is about to begin, which is actually not too surprising. He admitted two years ago that he needed to gradually adjust to his "James Harden-like best" through games. At that time, due to a stalemate with the Philadelphia 76ers, his offseason and preseason training plans were disrupted, and a similar situation occurred.

Even though he missed the game due to the trade dispute at the beginning of that season and was not in his best condition when he joined the Clippers, he still played 72 games throughout the season, averaging 16.6 points per game, shooting 38.1% from three-point range, and dishing out 8.5 assists.

US media said that although the 36-year-old Harden may no longer be at the peak of his career, as long as he is healthy and able to play, he is still one of the best players of his generation.

His career resume is very dazzling: 2017-18 regular season MVP, 3 scoring champions, 2 assist champions, 8 NBA All-NBA Team selections, 11 All-Star selections, and ranks among the 75 NBA superstars, but he lacks a championship ring.

If Harden needs more rest time early in the season, the Clippers' backcourt also has sufficient rotation support-Paul, Dunn and Beal are also in the team's lineup. Harden will join the Clippers in the regular season opener of the 2025-26 season, and their opponent will be the Utah Jazz.