The NBA has conjured up a few surprises in the early onset of this season. One of those surprises is the winning record that James Harden and the LA Clippers currently hold. Harden has, at least up until now, quieted his peanut gallery. He is leading an undermanned 6-5 Clippers squad in keeping their heads above water just enough in hopes that when Kawhi Leonard returns, they’ll have a fighter’s chance of keeping up in the West playoff race.
LA Clippers Keep Stoking the Embers Until 6x All-Star Returns
Norman Powell and James Harden Leading Above .500 LA Clippers
Harden is playing as good of basketball as he has in the last few years, and it’s a significant reason why the Clippers are not sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference four weeks into the season. In the absence of Kawhi, who is still recovering from a right knee ailment, Harden has picked up the slack. Whether the once-league MVP was capable of leading and carrying a team at this late stage in his career was questioned going into the season. Leonard was ruled out, and the Clippers let Paul George walk in free agency. So, Harden was the lone superstar to lace up on opening night, and he remains so.
Harden, though, has come through in big ways, which has helped the Clippers’ fire continue to breathe just enough. Having not missed a game yet, playing 35 minutes per game, and averaging 20.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, which is good for fourth in the league, Harden is certainly leading this team the way Steve Ballmer and Ty Lue had hoped.
Getting Help From Another Scorer
Enter Norman Powell. Would you believe Powell’s 26.0 PPG is more than a significant group of the league’s top scorers? It’s true. That group includes Jalen Brunson, Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, Ja Morant, and Donovan Mitchell, among others. Harden is playing great scoring and leadership-wise. However, one could argue that the Clippers would not be above .500 without Powell’s stellar production.
Like Harden, Powell has also played in every single game. He’s averaging 26.0 points on 52.7% from the field. But his greatest asset right now is his remarkable three-point shooting—lights-out 50.5%. Powell has knocked down five or more threes in six of ten games. Throughout his career, he has always shown up as a shooter and reliable sixth-man-worthy player. However, this season appears more like a late-career breakout one. In a sense, he’s been elite. The question is how long he can sustain his current efficiency pace. To go through an entire season, or even half of one, shooting 50% or more from three is a tall task, especially at the rate of attempts Powell puts up. Suppose he can continue this play until Leonard returns. It could mean keeping the Clippers at arm’s length in playoff contention.
Don’t Sleep on the Clippers?
No one would have blamed you for writing them off once George exited and Leonard again succumbed to a knee issue. And certainly, the Clippers were not expected to be playing as well as they have been. Regardless, they are, and they played one of the league’s best teams—the Oklahoma City Thunder—close on Monday to a six-point loss that could have easily gone the Clippers’ way instead.
Kawhi’s return is still foggy. If Harden, with Powell, and the rest of the rotation can stoke the embers for long enough, the Clippers might be better off than most thought.
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