James Harden spoke about re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers for 2 years, $70 million during the offseason. Harden noted that the Clippers and the city of LA are his home, and he enjoys what he is doing with the franchise. He also took aim at the analysts who have written off the Clippers and is looking to prove them all wrong.
“I’m home. I don’t plan on going anywhere else. I want to leave a legacy, especially having that opportunity here at home. I love everything that we’re doing. A lot of outsiders and people that are analysts or whatever you want to call them don’t really have high expectations for us but we have high expectations for ourselves.”
“I’ve never missed the playoffs my entire career, so I feel our entire team, we have a lot to prove. For me, as a leader, there have been a lot of situations where we weren’t good enough. But we made people believe in us. I feel like this is another opportunity for that. I’m excited for that.”
James Harden clearly wants to stay with the Clippers, at least for the time being, despite them getting weaker as a team after the departure of Paul George. And from the sound of it, Harden wants to prove to people that the Clippers can still contend for an NBA championship with him and Kawhi Leonard as the leading duo.
Harden played well last season, averaging 6.6 points, 8.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. But that production was helped greatly due to the presence of an All-Star duo in George and Leonard.
The Clippers are undoubtedly weaker without George but still have a great duo with Harden and Kawhi Leonard. However, their biggest issue will be the health of their two stars, as both players are older and have a history of injuries derailing their season. It will take a lot of hard work and preparation to keep the two players healthy throughout the season.
Can The Clippers Make Some Noise In The West?
The LA Clippers are going to have quite the challenge of trying to gain a playoff spot in the Western Conference. With teams like the Timberwolves, Mavericks, Nuggets, and Thunder, the West is incredibly competitive, and gaining a top-6 seed in the Eastern Conference is no longer the formality it once was for the Clippers.
Losing Paul George is a massive blow for the Clippers. They now go from having a big three with Kawhi, Harden, and George to just Kawhi and Harden. The two stars will have to shoulder most of the load for the Clippers, especially with their role players not being consistent enough to help the team when they needed.
Last season, Kawhi Leonard played the most games of his NBA career since the 2016-17 NBA season, playing 68 games with the Clippers. He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists during the season.
However, all that work turned out to be for nothing as he sustained an injury in the Clippers’ first-round series with the Mavericks, which led to the Clippers getting eliminated.
Leonard will need to be healthy not just in the regular season, but in the playoffs if the Clippers stand any chance of making a run for the championship next season.
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