“Why Did Y’all Do This?”: Clippers Decimated for Making Same Mistake as Lakers with “Horrible” James Harden Trade

Nov 7, 2023 | 11:25 AM EST

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James Harden’s long-cherished wish to join the Los Angeles Clippers was finally granted. Initially, it seemed like the Clippers had secured the missing piece for their star-studded quartet, raising hopes for an impressive season. However, their faults became apparent during James Harden’s season debut with the Clippers. The newly formed Clippers quartet consisting of Leonard, George, Harden, and Westbrook failed to yield expected results in their first game together.

The New York Knicks outperformed the Clippers with a 14-point victory. In the wake of this disappointing performance, the Clippers caught flak for not learning from the Lakers’ Russell Westbrook trade.

Why James Harden’s trade might prove to be a mistake for the Clippers?

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Harden opened his season with 17 points, three rebounds and six assists. However, the Clippers encountered a major hurdle with a staggering 22 turnovers that came back to haunt them. Even though James Harden was brought in to solidify the point guard position, the dynamic soon took an unexpected twist for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. While Harden and Russell Westbrook found their rhythm, George and Leonard seemed to struggle. The situation grew so dire that Coach Lue had to intervene, instructing his players to make a concerted effort to get Kawhi more involved in the third quarter. Meanwhile, George’s performance was less than stellar, with only 10 points on a 2-of-11 shooting performance.

According to Charles Tabansi of The Dreamerspro Show, the Clippers might have made a significant misstep by acquiring James Harden. He stated, “Clippers offense looked horrible… I’m sitting here looking at them like, ‘Why did y’all do this'”. His perspective revolves around the notion that a starting lineup featuring Leonard, George, Harden, and Westbrook, all known for similar playing styles, could pose compatibility challenges. “There’s not enough balls to go around,” said Charles.

In his opinion, a more favourable approach would be to utilize James Harden as the sixth man. This could potentially optimise the team’s performance. He said, “Some people say he’s [James Harden] more efficient than Russell Westbrook. Yes, he is. But James Harden will play zero defense, he’s not gonna play a liquor defense, he’s not gonna fight for offenses, he’s not gonna do none of that…Russell Westbrook is gonna play defense, he’s gonna hustle, he’s gonna offensive rebound, and he’s gonna push the tempo.”

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Did the Clippers not learn from the Lakers’ mistake?

Are the Clippers repeating the same mistake the Lakers made in 2021 when they acquired Russell Westbrook? The primary reason the duo of Westbrook and LeBron James didn’t pan out as expected was their similar playing style. This resulted in a clash of roles. Furthermore, both were the primary playmakers, making it less than ideal to have them both on the court simultaneously for the Lakers.

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In a similar vein, having a lineup with George, Leonard, and Harden could potentially relegate two of the Clippers’ best players to the role of spot-up shooters. Hence, the Clippers must formulate a more effective strategy if they intend to contend for a championship this season.

Watch this story: Letting James Harden Off the Hook, Kawhi Leonard Owns Up to Disastrous Night in Knicks Heartbreak