An Eastern Conference NBA scout told Chris Herring of ESPN that the Los Angeles Clippers have looked like a different team lately.
The Clippers started the James Harden era 0-5. However, they are now 14-10 with The Beard.
“It’s honestly night and day,” an Eastern Conference scout told ESPN of the Clippers’ turnaround. “There’s more rhyme and reason to what they’re doing. They go one-on-one a lot still, but they have the ability to play quick, too, because they can space you out so much. With an A-1 passer like Harden, they can hurt you in more ways now than they could before.”
Harden is averaging 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists with the Clippers while shooting 46.8% from the field, 42.9% from beyond the arc and 86.8% from the free-throw line. The Clippers are 17-12. They are in sixth place in the Western Conference standings.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Los Angeles Clippers Updates
“It definitely hurt us to lose those games at the beginning [of Harden’s tenure] and to have everyone writing us off,” Clippers center Ivica Zubac said. “But we kept working, and I feel like that moment with the four-point play was where you saw it all come together. It was a great moment, and we were all just really happy for him.”
The Clippers are 11th in the NBA in points per game and 12th in points per game allowed. With Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook leading the way, the Clippers have championship aspirations.
“It took us a little bit to get used to things because he plays with a totally different pace and style — one we’ve never played with before,” Zubac said. “But he’s made life easier for all of us already.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Los Angeles Clippers Updates
The Clippers have never been to the NBA Finals. It will be intriguing to see how far they go in the 2024 playoffs.
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