The Los Angeles Clippers have assembled the oldest team in the history of the Association heading into the new season, with an average age of 33.2. The roster is full of reputable names, both current and former superstars, led by James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Chris Paul has returned, and together with Bradley Beal, he should provide balance on offense when the main stars rest.

Ivica Zubac is coming off a career year, and he is in his prime and will once again be one of the key pieces, especially on the defensive end. He proved himself as one of the best pick-and-roll players in the entire league, and his partnership with Harden and Paul should be the icing on the cake.

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Harden believes two things will be crucial

Norman Powell is gone after averaging 21.8 points per game last season, but Bogdan Bogdanovic is in to help Beal replace his scoring and keep the second unit relevant.

On paper, Tyronn Lue will have trouble putting this roster together, and Harden believes two things will be crucial in accomplishing the main goal of winning the Larry O’Brien trophy.

“It’s no secret… I’ve accomplished everything in this game individually. It’s no secret what we’re trying to accomplish here… So many teams in this league it’s like, ‘We’re trying to win a championship.’ There’s only a handful that has a real opportunity… You gotta be good enough and you gotta be healthy. Those are the two things. We’re both of those right now,” Harden said.

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The Clippers seem perfectly covered at every position

Age is certainly not on this team’s side, and while they have big names, most are far from their best versions, with injuries always being the deciding factor. Kawhi himself admitted this was his best summer in years, but with his health, you can never be certain. On top of that, it will be interesting to see how the offseason controversy around him plays out.

The Clippers seem perfectly covered at every position. They have a strong balance between the frontcourt and the backcourt, experience and excellent options both offensively and defensively. John Collins and Brook Lopez give Lue an entirely new set of possibilities on both ends of the floor.

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With Zubac resting for some minutes, Lopez remains one of the best rim protectors in the league while still stretching defenses with his shooting. Collins, on the other hand, is a rim-running option who could pair perfectly with both The Beard and CP3, offering different looks from Zubac and Lopez while also being able to switch almost every position defensively.

Although Kawhi is still the team’s nominal first option, the brain of the operation will be Harden, feeding bigs and shooters and shouldering much of the offensive production. While he no longer dominates games like in his Houston Rockets days when he could almost single-handedly win, he has enough experience now to adapt his game, maximize his teammates and play winning basketball. This will be one of Harden’s last real runs at a title in a brutal Western Conference.

The crown on Harden’s career

The Oklahoma City Thunder look as strong as last year when they won it all. The Houston Rockets, with the addition of Kevin Durant, look frightfully good. The Denver Nuggets have refreshed their roster and seem ready to go all the way again. And then there are the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

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If Harden, with the oldest roster in league history, manages to get through such a Western gauntlet and finally win a title, it would undoubtedly be the greatest achievement of his career, even greater than his MVP, three scoring titles, two assists titles and multiple All-Star appearances.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.