It wasn’t much of a surprise to see the Los Angeles Clippers lose in James Harden’s debut.
They gave up plenty of depth to acquire him, and while he’s obviously one of the best players of his generation, they now have to start from scratch and put together a whole new gameplan, new sets, and whatnot to get him accustomed to the team.
As expected, he, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Kawhi Leonard should all be expected to sacrifice for the sake of the team.
Nonetheless, coach Tyronn Lue believes Kawhi should be the one to sacrifice the least, telling The Athletic that he’s “the best player” and that, if anything, he should be the one taking more shots.
The Clippers' stars have talked about sacrifice.
However, Kawhi Leonard should be the one who sacrifices the least, writes @joevardon.
And Ty Lue agrees.
"I thought just in a matchup with Kawhi, we can attack that a little more."
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— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) November 7, 2023
Leonard is one of the best two-way players in NBA history, and he’s, indeed, the Clippers’ brightest star.
Injuries have held him back over the past four years or so, but when healthy, he’s their most versatile scorer from all three levels, and while he’s not as crafty as Harden, as athletic as George, or as explosive as Westbrook, he’s more efficient than all three.
There will be ups and downs along the way for this new-look Clippers team.
Some games will make them look like a sure thing to win the NBA championship, and others will just make their haters laugh and rub their hands.
Even so, if they manage to make this experiment work, the rest of the league is going to be in a lot of trouble.
NEXT: Clippers Superstar Shares His Thoughts After First Game With James Harden
