James Harden is hoping to make Los Angeles his long-term home after being moved to the franchise, his fourth team in four years. The Nets are one of his former teams, with the fanbase serenading him with Daryl Morey chants in a way to mock the former MVP.
They’re chanting ‘Daryl Morey’ at James Harden 😅 https://t.co/2ODY2arUER
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 9, 2023
Harden forced his way out of Brooklyn pretty aggressively in the 2021-22 season, insisting on getting traded to the 76ers due to the long-standing relationship he enjoys with Daryl Morey. Harden felt protected in Philly with Morey as the GM but reported back-tracking on a future contract offer meant that Harden would lose one of his oldest executive friends in the NBA.
The Nets handed the Clippers their second loss of the Harden era, with the team sitting 0-2 since acquiring Harden. He had just 12 points with eight rebounds and five assists on the night as the Clippers’ offense failed to click. The 93-100 loss should prove to the fanbase and the franchise that they have a lot more work to do before they’re contenders in the West.
The Clippers Can’t Find Their Offensive Rhythm
The Clippers are not looking well-organized on the court since the addition of Harden. Coach Ty Lue is likely trying to figure out how to make the offense click with so many options that would want to dominate with the ball. The backcourt fit of Harden starting alongside Russell Westbrook is also not working as well as they would’ve thought, with both players struggling to get into their offensive bag with the other on the court.
In the loss to the Nets, the Clippers were led by Paul George, continuing a hot start to the season and dropping 24 points to lead all scorers. Kawhi had 17 points, while Westbrook had 13. Harden didn’t shoot much, as he dropped eight assists to showcase his playmaking skills a little more. Ultimately, there is just a lineup issue with the Clippers not needing all four of their star players on the court anymore.
Russell Westbrook needs to move to the bench if the Clippers want a chance to succeed. Staggering Westbrook and Harden to maximize production from the rest of the bench will be very important for the Clippers. They have floor-spacers on their bench, so playing a constricted lineup where Westbrook is spotting up when he’s a below-average shooter makes little sense. He is averaging 15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists to start the season.
Kawhi Leonard also has been noticeably passive on offense with the pieces around him. The best stretches of the Clippers’ season last year came when Kawhi was unabashedly aggressive on the court and looking to get buckets. He’s arguably the best pure shooter among the Clippers big four. Either he needs to adjust to finding more opportunities to get buckets out of the two-man game with Harden or Westbrook, or he needs to demand the ball and get aggressive.
A lot of teams in the West are having early struggles, so the Clippers have some time to figure out what they need. I feel that Westbrook or Harden coming off the bench is an inevitability Ty Lue needs to accept soon and help the players adjust to their roles.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
