Harden's consistency, Quickley's value, Embiid is percolating

Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.

James Harden, iron man?

James Harden has to be among the most scrutinized of basketball's all-time greats.

Yes, Harden has endured his share of playoff stinkers, and his defensive identity has been one of indifference. Critics have labeled him a free-throw merchant, even though drawing fouls is an invaluable skill. At times, he's been the NBA's ultimate agent of chaos when he tires of one team and sets his sights on another. But he is an all-time great and one of the best offensive engines the league has ever seen.

Remarkably, the one-way superstar often chided for his frame and conditioning has quietly become one of the modern game's iron men. Eight years removed from his MVP-level prime, when Harden touched heights few ever have, he's still stuffing the stat sheet and driving offense in ways players of his age and history shouldn't be able to. At 36 years old, with roughly 48,000 minutes under his belt between the regular season and postseason, Harden remains a model of consistency.

Buried in the news rubble of the Clippers' disastrous start, Harden continued to carry his depleted team, refusing to let go of the rope. While Kawhi Leonard's return fueled Los Angeles' surge back into postseason contention, Harden's efforts shouldn't be forgotten. The 11-time All-Star is averaging 25.8 points and 8.1 assists on nearly 60% true shooting, allowing the Clippers to score at a top-10 rate (116.4 points per 100 possessions) in minutes with Harden on and Leonard off. Harden's most frequent teammates during those minutes have been Kris Dunn, Ivica Zubac, John Collins, Nicolas Batum, and Kobe Sanders. Not exactly a murderers' row.

"He's 36 and maybe not the same guy he was 10 years ago, but he's still finding ways to get 25 and 10 every night," Batum told theScore through chuckles of disbelief. "I think with great players, the public kind of takes them for granted, because we're so used to seeing them be that good. You kind of forget how they got there. It's work. It's not just talent."

Clippers head coach Ty Lue said that work ethic is a staple of Harden's identity. "Once you get him on your team and you see the work he puts in, you can understand it. You see the work he puts in every single day on his body. The weights, the on-court stuff - every single day, he's doing the same thing, the same routine," Lue said, praising Harden's determination to play through the various ailments that arise over the course of a long season.

"He plays a lot of minutes, but he wants to play more," Lue laughed. "Even at this age, he wants to play more. He just wants to play and compete every single night. You've got to love that about him. We know we can always count on him to be out there on the floor."

To Lue's point, Harden is on pace to log a 2,000-minute season for the 14th time in 17 years. Even during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign, he fell just 54 minutes short of the mark. Harden is leading his team in minutes for the ninth time in the last 12 seasons that he's spent with just one club, and he's topped the league in total minutes twice. He's also missed more than 10 games in a season only three times and has appeared in 92% of contests over the last three years.

Harden's durability is made even more impressive by the fact that those 48,000 minutes have put grinding city miles on his body, not cruising highway clicks. His career has been one of high usage and high leverage. Among the 52 legends who've scored 20,000 points, Harden ranks 13th in usage rate. He owns the second-highest single-season usage rate ever, with three campaigns in the top 17 all-time.

And yet, as his peers and younger stars crumple around him or take time off to manage their loads, Harden continues to suit up, recording 2,000-minute seasons like they're nothing. He could become the seventh player ever to make multiple All-NBA teams after turning 35, and it still feels like he could sleepwalk to 20 points and 10 assists on above-average efficiency.

That's the other thing. Despite some grays popping up in Harden's trademark beard, Father Time has yet to sap his efficiency. The three-time scoring champion has posted above-average efficiency in each of his 17 seasons, according to Basketball Reference's league-adjusted data.

That's how you end up a top-10 all-time scorer, while the rest of the world dissects your game and debates the aesthetics of it.

"You've got to be in good condition and shape for that, right?" Harden asked rhetorically when questioned about his consistency and longevity, knowing full well the narrative about his fitness levels. "Availability is the only mindset that I have. I focus every day on being available. I take pride in being in shape and being productive on the court."

Some may snicker at those comments given pre-conceived notions about Harden's drive, but the proof is in the results. He's an NBA iron man, and there are too few of those these days.

Quickley doesn't have to be Maxey

This topic was spurred by reader Trevor David, who emailed me to ask about Immanuel Quickley's game and how it compares - or doesn't - to Tyrese Maxey's. After all, Quickley was touted as a Maxey-like (or Maxey-lite) guard when the Raptors acquired him in the OG Anunoby trade.

In short, Quickley has thus far failed to live up to those lofty expectations, and he's never going to be the MVP candidate Maxey has turned into. Additionally, a lucrative contract that will see him earn $32.5 million per year through the 2028-29 campaign has soured many Raptors fans and led to the belief that Toronto would relish the opportunity to get out of the Quickley business. Still, that doesn't mean the speedy guard is unimportant - far from it.

Quickley was targeted as an ideal running mate for Scottie Barnes because of his combination of range, movement shooting, and speed. Those skills are still invaluable assets for Barnes' rising squad, which desperately needs Quickley's shooting and off-the-dribble creation. Although the consistency might not be there - and Toronto would benefit if he shot better than 35.9% from deep - his volume is critical, as is his ability to provide space and serve as a release valve for players like Barnes and leading scorer Brandon Ingram.

He's improved as a defender and looks more comfortable playing the role of lead guard, averaging a career-high 6.3 assists with a 3.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Quickley's playmaking vision isn't elite, but he's making better decisions and hasn't forced things. Even in a historic 40-point game this week, Quickley might've taken one bad shot, if that, and he added 10 dimes for good measure. The only other guards who've recorded a Game Score of 40-plus this season, as Quickley did Tuesday at Golden State, are Maxey, Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, and Austin Reaves.

It's a reminder of Quickley's shooting upside and the game-breaking potential it offers. Inspiring Raptors reserve Jamal Shead can't replicate that yet, and neither can two-time All-Star Ja Morant. Quickley may not be the Maxey-level star Raptors fans hoped for, but he isn't the throwaway trade chip some believe, either. His contract - worth 17%-20% of the salary cap over the next three years - will also increase in value over time.

Player of the Week

Joel Embiid: 31.7 PPG, 65.1% TS, 9.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.0 STL + BLK, 2-1 record

I considered giving this award, which takes into account games played since last Friday, to reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, who posted truly wild numbers (36.3 points on 69-56-96 shooting). But Embiid's dominant week must be documented.

The 2023 MVP appears to be getting his legs back and settling in on what has become Maxey's team. The minutes, numbers, and efficiency are all trending up, and Embiid's at least acting as a defensive rim-deterrent again, even if his overall impact on that end isn't quite what it once was.

During Philadelphia's overtime victory over Houston on Thursday, Embiid recorded a 32-point triple-double and logged more minutes (45:36) than he has in roughly two years. Prior to this week, it had also been exactly two years since Embiid posted three straight Game Scores of 25-plus. No one is expecting another MVP campaign or pristine health, but the Sixers can be a dangerous team in a wide-open East if Embiid stays anything close to this player more often than not.

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