The Los Angeles Clippers took a major risk when they traded for James Harden.
While the upside was obvious, no team with Harden had found any sort of success since his Houston Rockets days, and he came with plenty of baggage and miles.
The early returns were as bad as expected, with them dropping six games in a row.
It only made sense, as the Clippers gave up plenty of depth to land Harden, and they needed some time together to mesh, build their rotations, and whatnot.
But after 13 games, it seems like things just aren’t working out.
As pointed out by Clippers insider Tomer Azarly, the Clippers are 5-8 since trading for Harden, all while owning a 0 net-point differential after scoring and allowing 1,426 points.
The LA Clippers have a 5-8 record over the last 13 games since adding James Harden. With 5 wins and 8 losses…
They've scored exactly 1,426 points.
They've given up exactly 1,426 points.They have a 0 point differential with 3 more losses than wins.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 1, 2023
Russell Westbrook showed his leadership skills by biting the bullet and asking to come off the bench so Harden could stay with the first unit.
That seemed to work at first, but it’s not enough.
The Clippers need to add more size and boost the center position, as they’ve been getting outhustled and outrebounded on both ends of the floor.
Harden has never been a good — or willing — defender, and that’s not going to change at this point in his career.
It’s hard to put all the blame on just one player, and Tyronn Lue’s going to have to find some answers to their current struggles.
But judging by what they’ve been through, it’s easy to wonder whether they were better off before, and they shouldn’t be in a rush to re-sign him in the offseason.
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