On December 17, 2023, Beijing time, the Clippers welcomed the challenge of the Knicks at home, and in this game, the Clippers continued their recent excellent form, and finally easily defeated the menacing Knicks 144-122 with the team's overall cooperation, winning seven consecutive victories. Since Wei Shao took the initiative to apply to the bench and the team's division of labor was clear, the overall situation of the team has been getting better and better, and the current record has also risen to 15-10, which directly promoted the Clippers from "broken ship" to "battleship". During this period, the changes in the Big Four are also noticeable!
One. Harden gradually adapted to his new role.
When he first arrived, Harden of the Clippers was like a new daughter-in-law, playing on tiptoe, without any characteristics, and the Clippers also suffered six consecutive defeats, and Harden's reputation was getting worse. But as Harden gradually adapted to the change of role and began to hold the ball more, he has gradually grown into the backcourt brain of the Clippers, and the ball has also increased greatly, and many times he even saw the figure of Rockets. Now Harden has switched freely in scoring and organization, and Tyronn Lue has also begun to let Harden dominate the ball independently, gradually playing his own characteristics, and becoming the most relied on ball-handler of this Clippers!
Two. Leonard's form quickly picked up.
After Harden began to control the court, Leonard's offensive firepower gradually began to be released, which also allowed Leonard to focus more on the offensive and defensive ends. The current Clippers don't need Leonard to carry the ball more, but use him more as an end point, which is obviously what Leonard is good at. In the last 8 games, Leonard has shot more than 50% from the field in every game, and his average data per game is ** to 284 points 64 rebounds and a whopping 61 shooting percentage2%, which is very efficient. In addition, Leonard's defense is still trustworthy, often used to defend the opponent's core players, and both offensive and defensive ends are currently the most relied on players of the Clippers!
Three. George is no longer obsessed with strong pitches.
There is no doubt that George's change is a big part of the Clippers' recovery. In the early days of Harden's arrival, George didn't seem to have changed much, he still went his own way, a team of star play, and all kinds of strong shots, which also made the Big Four play without cooperation, and repeatedly made him the target of complaints. But after George started to make sense and cut back on his strong shots, the team quickly became competitive, and the Big Four became more compatible. And with the attraction of Harden and Leonard, George can get a more relaxed offensive style, which also allows him to focus more on the defensive end and play a more balanced performance.
Four. The sacrifice of the status and role of Wei Shao.
Wei Shao was the biggest sacrifice of the Big Four, not only did he sacrifice his team's starting position, but also cut the ball and playing time. I have to say that the current Wei Shao is still able to charge, but it is difficult to help the team get out of the predicament. And Wei Shao also understands this very clearly, in order for the team to have better chemistry and better tactical cooperation, Wei Shao also took the initiative to make sacrifices. And Wei Shao, who came to the bench, can still play a little time with the ball like he once did, which is not a bad thing for Wei Shao.
With the change of the Big Four, the Clippers are gradually returning to the ranks of the strong teams, and they are back to the talk of competing for the championship, how far do you think the current Clippers team can go?