The last superstar domino dropped as NBA guard James Harden successfully forced a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the LA Clippers. I’m not sure what is the best way to describe this move. Harden didn’t want to play with the NBA MVP, Joel Embiid? How is his best executive pal, Daryl Morey, now his arch-nemesis? I feel a missing piece to the puzzle has yet to play out. With that being said, James Harden pouted all summer, showed up late for training camp, left camp, and the 76ers blocked him from joining the team’s road trip. The NBA began investigating the Harden crisis, then immediately scrapped the investigation upon the trade announcement. Now we are here. James Harden’s likely final dance partner– the Los Angeles Clippers.
James Harden’s teammates throughout his career:
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 31, 2023
Kevin Durant 2x
Russell Westbrook 3x
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Kyrie Irving
Joel Embiid
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
😳 pic.twitter.com/h9wwr8b4AV
Shameless plug: If you haven’t checked out my Hall of Fame articles, check them out here:
Hall of Fame Spotlight- Dwyane Wade
Top Three Reasons Andre Iguodala Belongs in the Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame Spotlight- Dirk Nowitzki
Hall of Fame Spotlight- Gregg Popovich
Disaster
Mind you, if you squint hard, you can see the vision. When James Harden was in the Western Conference, he played against Finals MVP Nikola Jokic numerous times and lit him up with magnificent stat lines. If the Nuggets, notorious for major players missing time like Jamal Murray (currently injured) and Michael Porter Jr., won the championship last season, we can beat them. Grab one of their kryptonites from the Eastern Conference and stack your team. The Clippers were already stocked with two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard, 8-time All-Star Paul George, and former MVP Russell Westbrook. NBA champion coach Tyronn Lue has the experience. What could go wrong?
Well, the Clippers have lost every game since the James Harden trade. I will leave you with this epic career recap video here.
Bring James Harden Home
The LA Clippers brought James Harden home as he grew up in Los Angeles. Leonard, George, and Westbrook are all from the area as well. I question the return on investment when you give players millions of dollars and bring them around their families and the block they grew up on. They aren’t the LA Lakers, where all of the media scrutiny lies squarely on the shoulders of future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James. The Clippers franchise has never won anything. Where is the pressure? What are the expectations for these homegrown players? Winning a championship for this team (sitting at a record of 3-7) might already be a lost cause.
How you start the season in the NBA matters a lot.
— Mavs/Magic Draft (@MavsDraft) November 13, 2023
Since 2000 every NBA title winner has started the season 6-4 or better. While not every team has played 10 games, there are some interesting teams that can’t reach even 6-4:
Phoenix
Lakers
Clippers
Pelicans
Cavs
What Needs to Happen
Kawhi Leonard was asked if he got lost offensively in the newness of having James Harden.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) November 7, 2023
Kawhi: “No. It’s gonna be like that. We have guys that can score the ball. Won’t be the only one. I just gotta be ready when my opportunity comes.” pic.twitter.com/0zm4Dy7ew6
It isn’t easy to point to anything the Clippers need to do to right this ship. There appear to be holes all over the boat, and the deck is taking on water (A clipper is a ship, remember? Hence the metaphors.) Here are some options.
- The team is small when the bench unit comes in. They also play terrible defense because James Harden and 38-year-old PJ Tucker are on the court. Consider a zone scheme when Leonard and George sit. Harden can also switch onto bigger (read: slower) players.
- Chemistry takes time. You only get that with practice, and Harden missed the Clippers training camp. The players should minimize their time in the comfort of home and practice some plays.
- Stay healthy. They will not get anywhere if any of the major players get injured. Find the balance between playing significant minutes and going all out for regular season wins.
- James Harden is still a great player, no matter what you hear. He is just unique. So, unique plays and schemes need to be developed for him. Coach Lue will lose sleep working on this. The best version of these Clippers should reveal itself around the All-Star break.
I have already secured tickets to see the Clippers in action in mid-March. I have zero idea what James Harden and company will look like then. If disaster strikes, blowing it up by the NBA trade deadline makes sense.
James Harden: “I AM THE SYSTEM”
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) November 12, 2023
the system:
pic.twitter.com/O5ue5ztdvz
Photo Credit for featured cover image: Getty Images.
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