Former NBA champion Brian Scalabrine provided insights on James Harden’s role with the Clippers, suggesting the star should focus on distribution rather than scoring.
Scalabrine, speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, emphasized Harden’s playmaking abilities and recommends exploring lineups that enhance team cohesion.
“In the stretches that I was watching Harden offensively he’s still the guy that can get downhill, he can shoot the floater,” he said. “He does have to have the ball in his hands and do all that. If that’s the case, then maybe bring him off the bench or find a lineup in which he could get everyone around him better.
“I’ll tell you what, Harden, it feels like for this team, he needs to be thinking about the assists and less about the points. They got enough guys that can shoot. He is a great playmaker. One of the best in the league. Maybe that would be more his role.
Highlighting the physicality of the Knicks in their recent matchup, Scalabrine acknowledged the need for adjustments and proposed a recalibration of Harden’s role to maximize the Clippers’ offensive dynamics.
“The Knicks were super physical. They have great size. They just beat up the Clippers. They just physically manhandled the Clippers,” he continued.
“I wonder if maybe this is an asterisk. Most teams aren’t that physical. Maybe give James Harden a little bit of runway here for him to figure out how he’s going play. But I do think for this team he should be distributing more than shooting the ball.”
Harden’s current stats with the Clippers stand at an average of 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 32 minutes over three games.
