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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

James Harden has finally gotten what he wanted and has been traded to the Clippers. He demanded a trade from the Sixers back in June. Harden had gone above and beyond to make it clear that he didn’t want anything to do with the Sixers anymore and in the process, gave the team a difficult time. The Clippers, who are yet to win their maiden Championship, had also shown interest in taking in the veteran player in a move to ramp up the team for a shot at the Championship this season.

However, his entry into the Clippers after a long drama that dragged on for months is going to bring some turmoil into the already well-structured Clippers team. Veterans like Russell Westbrook might be at the receiving end of this stick.

How much more can Westbrook sacrifice

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Before Harden came on board, it looked like Paul George, Westbrook, and Kawhi Leonard had formed a strong alliance on the court. But with Harden’s arrival, this is definitely going to be affected because somebody among them has to sacrifice even more than they were doing before Harden. ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe puts it as Westbrook feeling like, “Damn, how much more do I need to sacrifice?

There is obviously going to be a lot of compromise involved as to who is going to have the ball in their hand. Westbrook had an amazing run last season, and he seems to be on the same energy this time around as well, averaging 11.3 points so far. Westbrook is a team player no doubt, but he performs the best when he has the ball in his hands, being the aggressor. Having Harden on board might be an issue because he has to sacrifice his minutes.

Also Read- 8x All-Star, Who Publicly Vouched for Russell Westbrook, Sighed in Relief After Clippers? Star Saved Him From Playing the ?Black Stallion?

Shannon puts it this way, “It seemed like they had found a nice mesh between PG, Kawhi, and Russ. It’s an awful lot to bring James Harden in there because somebody is going to have to sacrifice even more than they were already sacrificing.”

Westbrook has to step down to let Harden shine

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The thing to understand about Westbrook is that, the teammates that he plays with have a huge influence on how he performs. When he has people he can trust, who he doesn’t mind feeding, who let him be the greatest version of himself while taking care of them, that’s when he is the best. We all remember when he wanted out of Houston, and Harden was okay with it. “Russell Westbrook wanted out of Houston and James Harden didn’t mind him being out of Houston because James Harden wanted to do his own thing,” Stephen A. Smith points out. So, having Harden in the Clippers might stun his performance on the court because there is a lot he has to sacrifice. To begin with, he might have to step down as a starter for the team, which he has been doing for the first three games of the Clippers. At this point, it all boils down to finding a rhythm that would benefit everyone on the team as well as the team itself, and lead them to their first victory.

Watch This Story- Staring Down the Barrel of $1.5 Million Blow, James Harden?s ?Unexcused Absence? Is ?Only the Beginning? in 76ers Drama, per Veteran Analyst

What do you think of the new Clippers with Harden on board? Do you think they have a chance of winning that title this season? Let us know.

 

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