The championship window of the Los Angeles Clippers inches closer to becoming shut. On paper, the star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George was supposed to bring the first-ever championship to the Clippers within the first four years. Injuries, load management, and a lack of urgency have caused the Clippers to fall short of their goals. The closest they got was the 2021 postseason when they made it to the Western Conference Finals, but Leonard’s ACL tear in the second round limited the team’s success. The Clippers have a chance to trade for a third star in guard James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers. While Harden has one year left on his contract and is a front-office headache, it is a move that the Clippers must consider if they want to be a serious contender for an NBA Title this upcoming season.
3 Reasons Why the L.A. Clippers Should Trade for James Harden
Clippers Add a Dominant Ball-handler/Court General
Since the trade of Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2017, the Clippers have been looking for a reliable point guard/court general to fill the avoid. Patrick Beverley was a solid defender, but not a needed facilitator. Reggie Jackson was an excellent temporary option that meant much to Clipper Nation but could fully set up shots. Finally, Rajon Rondo and John Wall were bad options due to their age and were well past their prime. This made them easy decisions to let them go in their limited time with the Clippers. When the Clippers picked up Russell Westbrook, he became the facilitator and an excellent scorer inside the paint.
With Harden on the Clippers, he becomes another solid court general that the Clippers need for their stars. Harden is a more aggressive facilitator than George and Terrance Mann, the two court generals before the addition of Westbrook. Harden was the leading assister in the NBA last season, averaging 10.7 assists per game. He also averaged 8.3 assists per game in the postseason for the 76ers, including some games without MVP Joel Embiid.
In the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns, Leonard averaged 34.5 points per game (the most of any player in the postseason). A big reason was that Westbrook was a proper facilitator for the Clippers. With Harden on the Clippers, he can set new shot selections, especially with him being a left-handed ball-handler.
James Harden Adds Urgency to the Regular Season
One of the biggest reasons the Clippers have disappointed this past season was the lack of urgency. Even in games where Leonard and George played, there was a clear lack of urgency to win games in the regular season. The main objective this past season was to get to the postseason healthy with the two stars. The lack of effort was evident in blown leads and games where the team was dominated. One game, for example, was the Clippers’ 122-91 road loss to the Denver Nuggets. The two stars combined for nine points shooting 3-of-16 in field goals and didn’t play the second half of the game. To make matters worse, the two stars didn’t play in the next game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Harden is a player that has red flags in his treatment with the front office, but one thing that doesn’t get questioned often is his effort on the court. When he is on the court, Harden is aggressive to attack the basket inside and outside the paint. Harden averaged 21 points per game and had his best three-point shooting performance last season for the 76ers (38.5%) since the 2011-2012 season when was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is a player that plays with urgency and speed in transition. One of the biggest perks of the Harden-Westbrook-led Rockets’ team is they were a solid transition team. Harden can also stretch the court as well, giving Westbrook more room to potentially attack the paint while not invading other shooter’s territories.
Harden is Insurance if Kawhi and PG Get Hurt
One of the biggest reasons the 213-era in Los Angeles has been disappointing is the numerous injuries that Leonard and George suffered. Several fans of Clipper Nation called for the team to trade George for a significant package before his value decreases. Plenty more fans are hesitant to have the front office give both players a contract extension.
In the four seasons with Leonard and George, the Clippers have had them play on the court for 118 games. That is out of the 328 possible regular season games (including the 2021-2022 season, where Leonard was out with a torn ACL). In the games that both players play, the Clippers are 83-85, but the constant injuries have limited the success of the 213-era.
Constant minor injuries (more on George), the season-ending ACL injury on Leonard in the 2021 postseason and load management have turned this experiment into a near failure. The Clippers need to try something new, even with a solid supporting cast returning. Harden doesn’t have the best or second-best playmaker for the Clippers, he just has to be available. There have been too many games where the Clippers have asked too much of great role players like Mann and Norman Powell. With Harden, the demand will be high, but so will the productivity in case Leonard and or George is out with injury or on load management.
