NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Los Angeles Clippers have finally landed James Harden following a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers that will send them Harden, PJ Tucker, and Flip Petrusey while they give up Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected First Round pick, 2 Second Round picks, a pick swap, and a first-round pick from a 3rd team. this is what the Clippers and Harden wanted. Now we have to see what the Clippers do with this.
The Clippers will now have a starting lineup that resembles an All-Star team from 2020 with Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Ivica Zubiac. From the outside looking in, they have championship written all over them. However, this is the Clippers were talking about where health takes top concern.
Since the arrival of George or Leonard in LA, things have not gone as smoothly. The duo has appeared in less than 100 games together while the roster has been full of shuffling. By adding Harden to the mix, it will create more chaos until Tyronn Lue finds a way to settle things down.
To start the season, the Clippers are averaging 121.3 points per game, 37 three-point attempts, 25.3 assists while giving up 104.7 points per game. The Clippers are top 5 in Offense and Defense. But that was with the core they just sent out. Harden is not a defensive stopper. The Clippers needed to get better in some areas but shooting was not one of them.
Now they have 4 players who like the ball in their hands and are all capable of bringing the ball up and setting up the offense. Westbrook and James Harden have history together from their days with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. Can Leonard and George coexist with two ball-dominant guards in the backcourt? As for Zubiac, where will his shots come from? In the first 3 games of the season, he has averaged 7.7 FGA while scoring 14 points per game. That’s about to stop.
George is averaging 27.3 points on 17 FGA while Leonard is putting up 23 points per game on 17.3 attempts. As for Westbrook, he averages 11.3 points on 8.3 attempts. Covington was the starter at PF with 23 minutes per game now that position will likely be handed to Leonard while George slides over to the SF spot. That’s a good starting lineup but where is the help?
Did The Los Angeles Clippers Win The James Harden Trade
Norman Powell is a great reserve who is averaging 13.7 points on 9 shots per game in 23 minutes. His help will come from another perimeter player in Bones Hyland who is averaging 15.7 points on 11.7 shots in 21.7 minutes per. Mason Plumlee is still there to clean up the boards and then you add Amir Coffee and the Los Angeles Clippers still have some depth. But is it enough?
Losing the veteran presence of Covington, Morris, and Batum will not hurt now, but come playoff time, that’s a different story. For now, it’s about outscoring everyone and playing just enough defense so they can walk out of the arena with a victory. While getting James Harden looks good, where is he mentally? While the Clippers were his top destination, is he ready for the scrutiny that’s going to come? Hell, are the Clippers ready for what’s about to come if this team gets off to a rocky start or fails to win a championship?
This team is championship or bust no matter what anyone says. We’re talking former All-Stars and former MVPs all on the floor together. What they just did was take the pressure off the Phoenix Suns and their star-studded lineup and put the bullseye on their own backs.
