James Harden: ‘We’ve got a lot of really good guys that want to see each other do well’

No player uses more isolation possessions per game than Harden. Per Synergy, Harden finishes 8.1 isolation possessions per game, 0.5 more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden and Gilgeous-Alexander average 8.2 points per game on isolations, the only players who average more than Jayson Tatum’s 7.7 isolation points per game. While Gilgeous-Alexander is in the prime of his career, Harden hasn’t been an All-NBA selection since 2020 or an All-Star since 2022. He’s put in his work, heightened by being the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player. Harden is 35 years old now, and playing in his 16th NBA season. Perhaps those legs were weary — Harden made nine field goals in this game, including six 3s, but none in the fourth quarter. -via New York Times / December 2, 2024