James Harden dishes on Clippers' new home, expectations and more - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — The start of James Harden's LA Clippers career last season was a whirlwind. After missing training camp and preseason while awaiting a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, he made his debut for his hometown team in November and immediately lost five games in a row. Once Clippers coach Ty Lue moved Harden to the primary point guard role alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers season turned around and the franchise saw glimpses of greatness from their new Big 3.

Fast-forward to now and Harden is in a position reminiscent to his days as the superstar and cornerstone of the Houston Rockets. George is gone to Philadelphia; Leonard is out indefinitely due to right knee inflammation; so all eyes will be on Harden and his ability to lead these Clippers in his 16th NBA season.

Harden held a team minicamp in Phoenix during the week of Sept. 9, hosting two-a-day workouts with the entire team at Arizona State University, capped off by a softball game for teammates and staff members. Harden paid for every player's expenses for the trip, from his co-star Leonard to the players on Exhibit 10 contracts.

In many ways, this is Houston James Harden — but refined and sharpened by the lessons of a Hall of Fame career. Harden, a former NBA MVP, 10-time All-Star and member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team, is primed to serve as the lead maestro once again for a Clippers roster with an elite head coach and scrappy, accomplished role players ready to follow his lead.

Harden knows everyone within the Clippers will look for him to lead now inside the new Intuit Dome on Wednesday night when the Clippers start the season against the Phoenix Suns (10 p.m. ET on ESPN) — and it will go beyond just the court.

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