Pundits previewing the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season have not painted a rosy picture for the Los Angeles Clippers.
With Paul George electing to leave the team for Philadelphia and superstar forward Kawhi Leonard yet to play since injuring his knee in last season’s playoffs, many experts believe that the Clippers will struggle to make it back to the playoffs.
However, one player could change the franchise’s fortunes: James Harden.
POST-PG OFFENSIVE BOOST?
The ever-effective George averaged 22.6 points on 47 percent shooting, including 41 percent from beyond the arc, for the Clippers last season. His scoring prowess from all over the court boosted the team’s offensive attack, opening up lanes for Kawhi and Harden.
But with PG gone and the Clippers not getting any player in return, the team faces a considerable void on offense with no obvious remedies in sight.
While Kawhi, when healthy, remains an elite scorer, his typical battles with injuries cast a dark cloud over the team’s hopes.
That’s where Harden comes in as a potential game-changer.
“Between George’s exit and Leonard’s ongoing availability issues, L.A.’s margin for error is somewhere between wafer-thin and non-existent,” Zach Buckley wrote on Bleacher Report. “Whatever hints of hope it has left are tied to the possibility of a bounce-back season from James Harden.”
CAN HARDEN REDISCOVER HIS POTENT FORM?
Harden is no longer the unstoppable player he once was when he helmed a Houston Rockets squad that took the mighty Golden State Warriors to seven games in the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
While he’s no longer as explosive, Harden still has plenty of gas left in the tank and could provide the scoring punch the Clippers desperately need.
Last season, the Beard averaged 16.6 points and 8.5 assists per game, but he elected to defer to Kawhi and P.G.
In the upcoming campaign, Harden’s return to a higher usage rate and elite shotmaking could be what the Clippers need to stay competitive in the Western Conference.
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