In the aftermath of a statement win over the Warriors on Friday, Clippers guard James Harden had a moment of reflection in his chat with the media. Instead of harping on his career achievements or his skills as a scorer, Harden highlighted his mission to win by any means necessary.
“It doesn’t matter if I get 10 points or what,” said Harden. “Winning is the key. The stats and everything, I’ve done a lot of different things. Accomplished a lot of different individual stats. To me, it’s about winning, about building chemistry throughout the team.”
Friday’s game was the best of the season for James, who dropped 28 points, 15 assists, and 7 rebounds in 42 minutes of action. It marked the sixth straight win for the Clips, who have recently hit a stride after trading for Harden last month. Despite missing Paul George with an injury, the Clippers haven’t lost a beat and they are looking better than ever in part thanks to Harden and Kawhi Leonard, who is slowly returning to his peak two-way form.
A Historic Run For Harden
Drafted to third to the Thunder in 2009, James Harden didn’t break out into an MVP player right away. Over his first three seasons, he played a sixth-man role for the Thunder, touching teams off the bench with his shooting and elite ball handling. It wasn’t until his trade to the Rockets in 2012 that he blossomed into a true superstar, averaging 25.9 points per game on 36% shooting from three. Eventually, Harden hit his peak in the 2017-18 season when he averaged a league-high 30.4 points and 8.8 assists per game on 44.9% shooting.
Today, as a 10x All-Star, 7x All-NBA player, 3x scoring champion, and 1x MVP, Harden’s legacy is already set as one of the greatest shooting guards in modern NBA history but he’s not done just yet. In his latest stop, the Clippers, he’s looking to earn his first NBA championship and he’s more locked into that goal than ever before. The question is, can the Clippers actually win the title, or has their window of opportunity already closed?
Now Or Never For The LA Clippers
We’re in year five of the Kawhi Leonard era, and the Clippers still have nothing to show for it. Aside from a few notable playoff runs, the Clippers haven’t come close to winning the title and this season has been anything but smooth sailing at just 14-10 in mid-December. Even so, the combined talents of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden give the Clippers a unique advantage in every matchup.
If those three can figure out how to properly play together, the Clippers can finally begin to reach their true potential as a team. As for where Harden fits into it, he’s still actively feeling out his role with the team. At his best, Harden could step up as the number two option for LA but he seems willing to take on whatever role is necessary to chase the wins this season and that’s a good sign for the Clippers, who are starting to see the tides turn in their favor.
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