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James Harden believes the Los Angeles Clippers are better equipped to manage workloads this season. According to The Athletic’s Law Murray during training camp, the veteran guard said the team must start strong and avoid the fatigue that affected them late last year.

“We gotta get out to a really good start. It’s a tough conference that we’re in,” Harden said. “Last year, we were just trying to find our way, figure out what we had. This year, we know what we have. We got to just put it together.”

The 36-year-old, who re-signed with Los Angeles on a two-year, $81.5 million deal in June, emphasized that the Clippers are aiming to stay healthy and rested heading into the playoffs.

“Last year, I had to have a higher workload from the beginning of the season. This year, hopefully it’s a little bit different.”

Harden averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists across 79 starts in the 2024–25 campaign. He logged heavy minutes while carrying much of the playmaking duties alongside Kawhi Leonard. With new additions such as Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, and Brook Lopez, Harden expects more balance in the offense.

Despite hoping for fewer responsibilities, Harden clarified that his preparation never changes. “I don’t prepare for a lighter workload. My workload is my workload,” he told Murray. “I prepare to play every single game at 36, 37, 38 minutes, however many minutes I got to play. Some games I might play 20 minutes because we handle business. And some games I play 40.”

The Clippers finished the 2024–25 regular season as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference before falling in the first round of the playoffs.

Entering his 17th season, Harden continues to climb the league’s all-time leaderboards. He ranks second behind Stephen Curry in career three-pointers made and joins Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Wilt Chamberlain as one of four players with at least 100 career 40-point games.