Former 76ers Star James Harden Credited for LA Clippers' Success

James Harden continues to thrive with the Clippers since being traded from the 76ers.

Nov 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks on against Philadelphia 76ers forward KJ Martin (1) in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

During the opening week of last season, the Philadelphia 76ers put an end to the James Harden saga by trading him to the LA Clippers. With Paul George leaving in free agency and Kawhi Leonard on the sidelines, many expected them to plummet in the Western Conference standings. However, the All-Star guard has managed to keep them relevant.

The Clippers find themselves with a 14-12 record this season, good for ninth place in the West. As for Harden, he continues to thrive as the maestro of the offense with averages of 21.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 8.4 APG.

Last week, Clippers guard Norm Powell sat down with ESPN's Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective podcast. When talking about what's led to LA's strong start to the season, the veteran guard credited Harden for their success.

"It's a complete buy in, I've said it before," Powell said. "He wants to win. Anytime we're in the locker room, he's talking to the guys on how we can get better and the team we need to be night in and night out."

Norman Powell credits the Clippers' success this season to James Harden's leadership:

"[Harden] buying in, coming back early, building that chemistry with the guys, the conditioning, talking to the young guys, talking to [Van Gundy] about the defensive coverages, and just being… pic.twitter.com/v55cJoU7z8

— Andy (@APH00PS) December 13, 2024

Similar to Tyrese Maxey when he was with the Sixers, Powell has thrived playing alongside a playmaker like Harden. He is having the best scoring season of his career (23.2 PPG) and shooting a stellar 47.4% from beyond the arc.

Back in November, the Sixers saw first hand just how well Harden is doing with the Clippers. They came into Philly and were able to pick up a dominant 125-99 win.

Harden had similar success in his brief time with the Sixers, but a disconnect with the front office regarding contracts negotiations led to his departure. Now, they are attempting to salvage their season as they continue to be arguably the unluckiest team in the association.