Some people in this world rejoice when James Harden doesn’t succeed as an NBA basketball player. Its iso-heavy style of play is an acquired taste, much like coffee, and yet a Starbucks gift card can win the heart of the average American adult. What really bothers people when it comes to Harden is that he always gets what he wants. More recently, he called Daryl Morey a liar and was exchanged from Philadelphia 76ers At Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers lost Harden’s first five games in their uniform. He, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook didn’t immediately get along. These struggles have delighted Clipper haters as well as those fed up with the current state of the sport in which athletes have more control than ever. There are also red-blooded Americans who are simply sick of Harden being rewarded for his tantrums, especially since he never won a championship.
This losing streak has stopped and the Clippers are on a roll. They defeated the Kings of Sacramento131-117, Wednesday on the road — to be fair to the Kings, they had to overcome a big deficit the night before to beat the Warriors of the Golden State.
This victory is the Clippers’ fifth in their last seven games.
Wednesday against the Kings, the Clips showed how dominant they could be. Sacramento trailed after 6:11 of the first quarter. Leonard missed just four shots and was his team’s top scorer with 34 points. The Clippers handled the ball better than they have all season, turning it over just four times.
The passing was crisp all night, whether it was a quick pass to Ivica Zubac in the paint or a 3-point shot to George or Harden. During the losing streak, the Clippers topped 22 assists in a game just once. In their last seven games, they have totaled at least 25 five times – against the Kings, they totaled 28.
Even as Harden’s new team attempts to turn around his season, he has struggled as a scorer. Only twice in the last seven games has he shot 43 percent from the field. His 26 points on Wednesday were his highest total this season.
In an act of selflessness, as the Clippers nosedived in early November, Westbrook asked get off the bench. The very first game he wasn’t in the starting lineup, they beat the Houston Rockets106-100.
Westbrook playing with the second unit gives this group some juice, while also allowing George and Leonard to get used to playing alongside Harden without a speeding train in the backcourt speeding up the game Westbrook’s days at point center when he and Harden were both with the Rockets are not returning.
Let’s face it, regardless of the lineup, the Clippers were going to find a way to play winning basketball. The team has too much talent to finish the regular season as a losing team. Despite all the injuries George and Leonard have endured since joining forces in 2019, the team still finishes the season with a winning record. The last time the Clippers finished a regular season below .500 was 2010-11.
I don’t believe the Clippers are an NBA championship contender. George and Leonard haven’t missed a game this season. The likelihood that both, or maybe even one, will be healthy come playoff time is not high. And even though none of them have sat on the bench in street clothes this season, the Clippers are 8-9.
While the Clips shouldn’t be considered title contenders, this recent winning streak is proof that they have too much talent to be completely written off before Christmas. Getting Harden into the lineup wasn’t going to be easy. Having Westbrook volunteer to play with the second unit was a rare sacrifice from a future Hall of Famer, and it certainly sped up the process.
People have free will. They can be mad at Harden all they want for the way he floats from team to team. Hoping the Clippers lose just because he’s now playing for them is the behavior of a hater, but I’m not here to be ashamed.
Yet anyone who thinks the Clippers are struggling or a below average team, you are all lying to yourselves. This team is talented and will win a lot of games this season. No amount of contempt for Harden will change that.