The Los Angeles Clippers may have executed one of the sharpest offseasons in the NBA, but not everyone is buying in—at least not with James Harden still running the show. Bill Simmons, a longtime Clippers season ticket holder and noted Harden skeptic, voiced his concerns on the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“We could talk about, they’re better, they’re deeper. They’re still a team built around James Harden,” Simmons said. “And I don’t know if you’re a Clippers fan, if you work for the Clippers, you coach the Clippers, if you’re the GM of the Clippers, if you own the Clippers — I don’t know how you fall asleep at night feeling great about that.”
An Impressive Offseason on Paper
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L.A.’s summer haul was impressive by any measure: the additions of Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and John Collins. Beal, in particular, could be a steal after agreeing to a two-year, $11 million deal. He brings a versatile scoring punch and familiarity with playing third-fiddle, as he did alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix.
But Simmons—and many others—remain hung up on the same familiar question: Can James Harden still deliver when it matters most?
Game 7 Still Haunts
Simmons said he recently rewatched the Clippers’ Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. It did little to quell his doubts.
“I actually went back and watched because I was like, ‘Maybe I’m misremembering.’ It was that bad; he was so bad,” Simmons said.
In that Game 7, Harden managed just 7 points on 8 shots—his lowest scoring output of the series. Though he added 13 assists, he took only two free throws and rarely looked aggressive. It marked the first time since 2022 that Harden had 10 or fewer combined field-goal and free-throw attempts in a playoff game.
This wasn’t an isolated case, either. Simmons cited the cumulative pattern of playoff letdowns:
“The Harden thing, it’s just dumbfounding. He’s now in his mid-30s, he was in the 2009 draft, and this has just been such a huge part of his résumé… Over and over again, it wasn’t quite there in the playoffs.”
A Familiar Collapse in Denver
The trend continued in the second round against Denver. Harden began the series strong, with a 32-point outburst in Game 1, but his production steadily dipped: 18, 20, 15, and then a quiet 11-point performance in Game 5. LA lost that game 131–115, falling behind in the series as Harden posted a -15 plus-minus in 35 minutes.
His stat line—33.3% shooting, 0-for-4 from deep, four turnovers—reflected the eye test. So did the Nuggets fans’ two-word chant, which underlined the growing narrative.
“The Clippers put Harden on Jokic so we could remember that Harden was playing,” Simmons quipped.
Jokic finished with a triple-double, while Jamal Murray torched L.A. for 43 points. Harden, once again, disappeared on the big stage.
Can the New Core Offset Harden’s Postseason Woes?
The Clippers clearly believe that adding high-IQ, battle-tested veterans like Paul, Lopez, and Beal can stabilize their core. Beal’s proven ability to score at all three levels, Lopez’s rim protection, and Paul’s playmaking and leadership could indeed help offset Harden’s unpredictability.
Still, with Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac doing their part—dropping 20 and 27 points respectively in Game 5—Simmons questioned how much longer L.A. can afford to absorb Harden’s playoff vanishing acts.
“They really needed a big James Harden game, either the last game or this game,” Simmons said. “Does he have it in him anymore? Are we expecting too much?”
As the Clippers cling to their championship window, those questions loom larger than ever.
For now, L.A. may have reshaped its roster, but in Simmons’ view, they haven’t reshaped their fate—not while James Harden remains the centerpiece in spring.