The Los Angeles Clippers have had it rough since trading for James Harden, and while some might be surprised by just how bad things have been, Kawhi Leonard isn’t.
“Nothing really surprised me,” Leonard said. “Just I would say more of the downside. I’m seeing more of the downside of things early than what I thought about. Obviously like I said, we have four guys on the floor that are used to having a ball, used to finding a rhythm just by feeling and touching it all game.”
There was always going to be an adjustment period when you have Kawhi, Harden, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook on the same team. Leonard then brought up how their opponents on Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks, had similar struggles in 2022-23.
“You could see it, you kind of seen it with Luka and Kyrie last year,” Leonard continued. “They was trying to figure it out. But like I said, just playing more, you’ll start to figure out, OK, this guy needs this spot here or he’s, he got it going, let me buy in into another part of the game where I can make us win.”
We saw the Mavericks struggle massively after trading for Kyrie Irving last season and they would end up missing even the play-in tournament. Now with the group spending more time together on the court, Dallas is at 7-2 and just blew out the Clippers 144-126.
Leonard is optimistic that the Clippers will get better as the season goes on and things should improve with time. While they didn’t have the luxury of a proper preseason with Harden, the trade was made early enough, that they have plenty of time to figure things out.
James Harden Is Not Fazed By His Slow Start
Harden has had a lot of criticism come his way for the Clippers’ struggles, with them being 0-3 with him in the lineup. The 10-time All-Star doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to it and Harden also stated he is unfazed by his slow start with the Clippers.
“For me individually, this is only my third game,” said Harden. “I didn’t have a training camp, I didn’t have a preseason, so everything is still moving fast speed for me. I need about a 10-game window then kind of see where I am from there.”
The 34-year-old is averaging just 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, but those numbers should go up as he spends more time on the court. All of these early struggles will be forgotten if the team gets on a roll in the second half of the season, but until that happens, Harden will be getting blasted from all corners.
The One Change The Clippers Might Have To Make
While things should get better as the season goes on, I do believe there is one change the Clippers might have to make if they are to be a serious contender. That change is sending Westbrook to the bench.
Having him and Harden on the court at the same time doesn’t work for me. Maybe for some stretches, it’d be a good idea, but their minutes should be staggered for the most part. Westbrook accepted a bench role with the Los Angeles Lakers last season and did fairly well in it.
If he is willing to do the same for the Clippers, I think they’d improve significantly. He can be replaced in the starting lineup with someone like Terance Mann, who provides the defensive support that this team desperately needs. Mann has been out with an ankle injury so far this season, and I would like to see him in the starting lineup when he returns.
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