James Harden Says He Needs 10-Game Window To 'See Where I Am' with Clippers

The James Harden era with the Los Angeles Clippers is off to a rough 0-3 start, but the 10-time All-Star admitted he needs more time to get in prime condition before making any evaluations.

Speaking to reporters after the Clippers' 144-126 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Harden said because he didn't have a proper training camp or preseason, he needs a 10-game window to "kind of see where I am" at with his new team.

Harden reportedly left training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 15. He was doing individual work, but not participating in team activities when he was around.

The Sixers traded Harden to the Clippers on Nov. 1. He made his debut with Los Angeles five days later against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

In his first three games, Harden is averaging 14.3 points on 54.2 percent shooting with 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He's been on the court for an average of 32.2 minutes per contest.

It's not a bad stat line for a player who didn't have a proper offseason and is still learning to play with new teammates, but it's also a far cry from what Harden was doing with the Sixers last season. He averaged 21.0 points and an NBA-high 10.7 assists per game in 58 starts.

The Clippers have lost four straight games overall. Their two lowest-scoring games were Harden's first two starts when they scored 97 points against the Knicks and 93 points against the Brooklyn Nets.

Dallas' 144 points scored on Friday night were the most allowed by the Clippers in a non-overtime game since Jan. 28, 2017, when they lost 144-98 to the Golden State Warriors.

Harden and the Clippers will look to end their losing skid on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena.