The Los Angeles Clippers are beginning their climb out of the pits of the West after a big losing streak after the James Harden trade dropped them to the lottery. With a 124-99 win over the Spurs, the Clippers have won their second consecutive game and fans are excited for what the future holds for them.
CLIPPERS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/VaxdIU0q7J
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 21, 2023
One Clippers fan has fallen in love with the team now that they’re playing sensible rotations.
this looks like a completely different clippers team and I love it
— lo (@loahaddian) November 21, 2023
The team effort on display was marvelous and was well-noted by fans.
That was as perfect of a game as you could ask for from the Clippers. The big 4 all played great, only 7 team turnovers, 30 team assists, and 15 steals.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) November 21, 2023
Fans are also amazed at the instant impact Daniel Theis has had this season, signing with the team just last season and already contributing at a high level.
The Clippers getting Daniel Theis for free has been an absolute life saver so far.
The chemistry with him and Russell Westbrook in the second unit has been impressive already.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) November 21, 2023
Clippers fans were extremely critical of Terance Mann’s subpar play after the organization held him as untouchable in trade talks.
Clippers said he was “untouchable” btw
Sixers dodged a bullet pic.twitter.com/d17D39YcYK
— dean 🦂 (@DeanScorpion_) November 21, 2023
Clippers fans are loving the staggered lineups between Harden and Westbrook.
It’s very simple. You separated Russ and Harden and you look like a real basketball team. Now you try and maximize each ones units.
Spurs are good trial games. Unless Wemby is hitting, they won’t beat anyone without Vassell. West is too strong
— Dime Dropper (@DimeDropperPod) November 21, 2023
Harden had his first playmaking masterclass since joining the Clippers, with fans seeing the easy shots he generated for his teammates.
James Harden in back to back possessions making life so easy for Kawhi and PG. pic.twitter.com/AciEk6NdfJ
— Adam Auslund (@followAdamA) November 21, 2023
Some fans took snarky comments at fans who wanted Harden to be benched instead of Westbrook, complimenting how well Russ played off the bench despite people claiming he’d not perform well.
https://twitter.com/ClipsLand/status/1726777653804327059
The Clippers were led by Paul George scoring 28 points, often running with the second unit alongside Russell Westbrook as the two ran a deadly tandem offense, making to their time as teammates on the Thunder. Russ had 10 points and six assists off the bench with no turnovers. Kawhi Leonard had a decent 21-point night, while James Harden had 13 points on poor efficiency, but dropped 10 much-needed dimes to help the Clippers’ offense have connectivity we haven’t seen in this era of the team.
Victor Wembanyama was fully locked up by the Clippers, scoring just nine points on the night. Keldon Johnson was the only Spurs starter with double-digit points, scoring 22 in a valiant effort. Otherwise, the Spurs look like one of the worst teams in the league for yet another season, even with the summer acquisition of ‘the next LeBron James’.
The New Rotations Are Working
Most basketball people knew that the Clippers’ poor start to life in the James Harden era was a result of some extremely poor rotational decision Ty Lue was making after losing half his roster in a trade. The biggest issue was Westbrook and Harden playing as the starting backcourt instead of one coming off the bench for the other. After five turnover-heavy games where neither player wanted to be a scorer, Westbrook volunteered to come off the bench and has changed how the Clippers play.
They’re 2-0 since Westbrook moved to the bench, with all players excelling in their role. Both the guards are heavily featured, though it’s clear the Clippers have greater trust in Harden and his scoring ability than Russ. As a result, Russ is excelling in lineups with George, as George takes the scoring lead and allows Russ to focus on defense and playmaking, a strategy that’s worked like a charm so far.
We’ll have to wait and see how much further the Clippers can go. With a matchup against the deadly Dallas Mavericks coming up, they’ll have a serious test for their new rotations to fight through.
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