The Clippers are now 4-7 since trading for Harden, or 0-1 in his “ready” state.

Memes aside, he was okay this game, but okay isn’t good enough when you’re with a fully healthy Clippers vs a Reggie Jackson-led Nuggets.

Harden isn’t exactly playing terribly as a Clippers, but at this point in his career, it’s hard to justify an offence-first player on a team as offensively stacked as the Clippers when they’re in desperate need of some more off-ball movement.

Harden is looking to secure a max extension, we’ll have to see what kind of contract he can muster as he gets more into game shape as the season progresses.

  • Doctorbigdick287@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Philly fan;

    I do think he will adjust, and 11 games is still within a reasonable grace period in my mind.

    The biggest detractors for him are

    1. that he clearly didn’t condition or do enough prep on his own time to come in and make an impact. It’s fine if you don’t want to practice with the sixers (probably should have for both optics and conditioning) but either way he should have been working out hard to start the season, even if that means scrimmaging with g-leaguers or college guys/ out of the league guys. Fringe players do this all the time, just hoping for a call and knowing they will be ready if it comes. No excuse for a former mvp on the back none of his career coming off a meh playoffs run to just take the off-season and camps off. If his name didn’t carry as much weight he would be in jeopardy of being out of the league.

    2. the clippers clearly need a playmaker like him, but most of their guys are ball dominant, and they have lost a good portion of offball shooter role players, who can also play good defense. Those kind of guys have always been important to hardens game, because the open up passing lanes, but now more than ever because he can’t get to the cup at will anymore. It’s also tough because I do think that one of kawhi or PG will need to take a back seat, like bosh with the heat for harden to be most effective, and with where everyone is in their careers, I’m not sure that makes sense. It’s also a factor that LAC doesn’t really have any secondary playmakers, so if you run an offense through harden bench lineups or partial bench lineups will look way different. Usually the only time that works is when the offensive scheme is well formed, like the warriors with Sean Livingston as opposed to Steph curry.