After James Harden openly called out his Philadelphia 76ers employers during a promotional trip to China, it was only a matter of time before the 10-time NBA All-Star pick would be on his way.
It took longer than many had expected, but the 34-year-old finally secured a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers on November 1st, but it would be fair to say that the move has not exactly gone as many would have hoped. It’s still early, but the Harden Clippers started out with five straight losses before pulling out wins against the Houston Rockets and struggling San Antonio Spurs.
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They certainly have the firepower. With 32 All-Star appearances between the four stars, the Clippers will figure out the offense at some point and go on a couple winning streaks.
Harden Burns Bridges in Philadelphia
Harden’s desire to leave the 76ers was such that when he didn’t get the move he felt he was promised, he made a public show of his annoyance, stating in front of a crowd in China; “Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,”
Unsurprisingly, such comments about a franchise president didn’t go down well, and what followed was something of a standoff and an example of power empowerment gone wrong. It was always going to result in a player exit, albeit one that dragged on for way too long.
Harden is currently averaging his lowest points per game since 2011-12 and has admitted that he’s getting used to life with the Clippers, stating; “I haven’t really had catch-and-shoots for real since, like, the OKC days. You got so many great ball handlers that can draw double-teams and draw attention, when I get those opportunities, [I need to] shoot ’em. I keep reiterating that I didn’t have a training camp really or preseason,”
“So kind of learning on the fly for a new team and also getting myself into James Harden shape and game shape is very, very important.. I wasn’t really playing 5-on-5. We don’t really [have time to] practice. So these are my practices in games.” Harden added.
Can Clippers Turn It Around?
As of November 21st, the Los Angeles Clippers have a less than glorious 5-7 record. It doesn’t help that the Sixers are thriving and Tyrese Maxey looking like a surefire all-star in Harden’s absence. luckily for head coach Tyronn Lue, the NBA season is a long and arduous one, so there is plenty of time to get into gear.
For all his faults and flaws, and he has many, you could never argue against the playing ability that James Harden possesses, and he’s coming through some tough times and may well be ready to turn the clock back to the days when he let his talking on the court amplify louder than any actions and comments off of it.
That was always going to be the calculated risk that the Clippers made when making the trade, and come the end of the regular season and beyond, pundits and fans can then make their feelings felt on whether the move was merited or one that has only served to hold the franchise back.
Harden’s form is certainly starting to move in the right direction, with the new addition putting in a strong display in their 124-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs, during which he contributed ten assists and no turnovers. A win that led Lue to declare optimistically; “I think we’re starting to get comfortable.”
