James Harden made his way to the Los Angeles Clippers after an eventful summer this year. For some context, the NBA superstar publicly attacked Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey during his trip to China. It came as a shock to the world, mainly because James Harden was still a Sixer at the time.
Neither party has revealed the real reason for Harden’s rant, but reports have mentioned that the franchise’s failure to trade him didn’t go down too well with him. He opted into his $36.5 million contract and then requested a trade to leave Philly. When Daryl Morey and Co. didn’t come to an agreement with his trade request, that was when Harden’s outburst happened.
James Harden has had a nightmare start to Clippers career
The Beard moved to LA and the move has left Clippers looking like serious contenders right now on paper. The Clippers already boast world-class players, inlcuding Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. Harden is reunited with Russ, but did not play with PG while he was on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In his Clippers debut, Harden managed to play for 31 minutes, which was a huge surprise considering the number of games he missed since the start of the season. His individual numbers were quite decent, when Harden scored 17 points and made 6 assists and 3 rebounds.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue decided to let Harden play for 36 minutes in just his second game, a decision that didn’t go down too well. The player made just 12 points, which isn’t like the usual numbers he puts up on the board. Even in his third game, Harden could only make 14 points despite playing 29 minutes on the night.
The Clippers have failed to win all of their three games so far since Harden’s arrival. This will be a shock to many, considering the star-studded lineup the Clippers have right now.
Tyronn Lue reveals plan to accomodate Harden’s arrival
Recently, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue spoke about Harden and how he has found it hard to hit it running. He said, “I think the small lineup doesn’t really fit him well right now until he gets in better game shape. Keeping a 5 on the floor with him as much as possible will really be good for us.”
“I think the small lineup doesn’t really fit him well right now until he gets in better game shape. Keeping a 5 on the floor with him as much as possible will really be good for us.”
Tyronn Lue on why it’s been a struggle to get James Harden in rhythm. pic.twitter.com/Zda4wx2dbC
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 11, 2023
It would be a reality check to Harden to claim that he isn’t ready for the Clippers’ go-to lineup. However, it isn’t a huge surprise considering how many games he has missed in recent times, and how recent his move to the Clippers has been.
Lue is a big fan of the small ball lineup, as the NBA world would be aware. For some context, the small ball lineup involves the use of smaller players, who are believed to be more agile and quick. This means that the team on the offense would be able to break fast whenever needed.
In addition to that, smaller players are usually great shooters as well. When an entire lineup of elite starters is present, it increases the chance of scoring from the three-point line, and also stretches the opponent’s defense to areas out of the paint.
As for Harden, it looks like it would take him some time to settle in with the Clippers. The franchise has been used to a certain play style, which Harden isn’t known for. As Lue mentioned, using a center alongside Harden might be the best way for the Clippers to go right now.