Even during a period of “immaculate” vibes in Clipperland, GM Trent Redden risked it all by going all-in for James Harden. And while there are no signs that Harden’s arrival will impact Russell Westbrook’s role on the team, one Clippers insider believes the ultimate plan is to slowly incorporate Harden as the new starting point guard over Russell Westbrook.
“The reality of this move is that Harden was brought in to ultimately replace Westbrook in the case that a partnership between the two players on the floor did not work,” wrote Law Murray. “While Lue advocated for Westbrook, the Clippers front office has always preferred a point guard who is a theoretical fit with Leonard and George in terms of size and shooting ability.”
The Clippers have always leaned on the side of star power and they have always operated with winning as the top priority. For Harden, his offensive game is much more desirable in the modern NBA compared to Westbrook and the Clippers have long needed a scorer of his caliber in the backcourt. Even so, Harden has proven himself unreliable in the past, and Westbrook’s team-first mentality since joining the Clippers has made him very effective in his role.
More Disrespect For Westbrook
At 35 years old, the end is closer for Russell Westbrook than the beginning and we all know his best days are already behind him. But since leaving the Lakers last season, Westbrook has re-invented his game to provide a spark for the Los Angeles Clippers. In a situation where he’s comfortable and valued, Russ has thrived and he’s found a nice rhythm offensively with a stat line of 15.2 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per game.
This season, he was playing some of the best basketball in years before the Harden trade and it looked like the Clippers had developed some real chemistry with him and the rest of the roster. Plugging no. 1 into the rotation has disrupted everything for the Clippers and finding a spot for Westbrook has been a challenge for head coach Tyronn Lue, who has already decided to stagger the minutes with Russ and Harden on the floor. But with Westbrook taking a back seat this season, the pressure falls on Harden to find his role with the Clips and figure out how to prosper as the third option behind Kawhi and Paul George.
The Last Chance For James
On his fourth team in just a few years, James Harden hasn’t been able to find a long-term NBA home since leaving the Rockets back in 2019. As a former MVP, James was once considered among the top five players in the game, but he’s fallen off hard in recent years. In five games with the Clippers this season, Harden is averaging 15.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 44% shooting. At just 10.2 attempts per game, the Beard getting up fewer shots per game than he’s had in over 10 years.
At this point, it’s clear that James Harden is no longer at the level he once was. But the question is, is he still good enough to push Russ from the starting lineup? Against the Rockets on Friday, we’ll get the first glimpse at what the new rotation looks like, and if they lose their seventh straight game it could raise some serious questions about Harden’s true impact on the Clippers.
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