Over the past few seasons, the Los Angeles Clippers have been looking for a way to improve their game to reach their championship goal. In the process, they made some big decisions, the most controversial of which was the introduction of James Harden. Was the deal a success? This is a question worth going deep into.
We have to admit that Harden's arrival did bring some positives to the Clippers. His scoring ability and playmaking ability make the team stronger on the offensive end. Under his leadership, the Clippers have won a number of games and even reached the Western Conference Finals at one point. These are all manifestations of Harden's individual abilities and the substantial changes he has brought to the team.
That doesn't mean Harden's arrival is a successful deal. In fact, the deal may not have lived up to the Clippers' expectations. The arrival of Harden did not significantly improve the overall strength of the Clippers. Although he is very strong individually, he is not a substitute for the hard work of the whole team. Basketball is a team sport, and there is a limit to the strength of one person. No matter how strong Harden is, he can't guarantee that he will be able to perform at his best every game. Once he doesn't play well in the game, it will be difficult for the Clippers to win.
Harden's arrival also made the team's offense too reliant on him. This over-reliance makes the team look weak against defensively strong opponents. If opponents can effectively limit Harden's play, then the Clippers' offense will be in trouble. This is especially true in the playoffs, where opponents will put more emphasis on defending Harden.
Harden's high salary is also an issue. His contract has made salary space very tight for the Clippers, which poses a threat to the team's long-term development. If the team can't be upgraded by bringing in reinforcements, then the Clippers could face even greater challenges in the coming seasons.
Overall, while Harden's arrival has brought some positive effects to the Clippers, the deal has not been considered a success. It didn't make a significant improvement in the overall strength of the team, nor did it solve the team's fundamental problems. As a result, the Clippers will need to revisit their strategy and find a new way to improve their capabilities.
In the world of basketball, every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. For the Clippers, there are many factors to consider when bringing in new players, including the skill level of the players, their personality traits, and how well they will work with their existing players. Sometimes even if a player is good at something, it may not be a good fit to join a team. Claxton, for example, has some quality both offensively and defensively, but he is relatively weak in height and weight and could suffer against top interior players. Claxton and Harden work together tacitly, but it may be difficult for them to perform at their best with the Clippers. Therefore, bringing in Claxton is not a wise choice.
Let's be clear, Claxton is relatively weak in height and weight. In basketball, height and weight are often the key factors for a player in interior matchups. A tall and strong player can better use his physical advantage to block and steal when facing the opponent's attack. And Claxton is clearly at a disadvantage in this regard. Although his skills are good enough, he can suffer from his lack of physical fitness when facing top interior players like Embiid and Jokic. This is especially true for the Clippers, whose opponents tend to have strong interior strength. If Claxton can't provide enough support in this regard, then his role with the Clippers will be greatly diminished.
Claxton and Harden work together tacitly, but it may be difficult for them to perform at their best with the Clippers. In the past games, Claxton's combination with Harden has undoubtedly been very successful. The chemistry between them has brought a lot of wins to the team. This kind of coordination can be difficult to replicate in the Clippers. There are two reasons for this: first, the Clippers' roster is very different from Claxton's past teams, which means he needs to readjust to his new teammates and system; The second is that the Clippers' style is also very different from Claxton's past team, which may have a certain impact on his play. In this case, Claxton's performance with the Clippers may not live up to expectations.
The addition of Claxton could also affect the rest of the Clippers' roster. Basketball is a team sport, and each player needs to make sacrifices for the overall good of the team. If Claxton joins the Clippers, then he may need to occupy a lot of playing time, which means that other players will have fewer opportunities to play. This situation may lead to dissatisfaction and contradictions within the team, which will affect the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the team. Therefore, from the perspective of the team's stability and development, bringing in Claxton is not a wise choice.
We can't deny Claxton a great performance in some areas. His offensive and defensive abilities are outstanding, which is undoubtedly a valuable asset for the Clippers. We need to recognize that the game of basketball is not just about offense and defense. Whether a player can bring success to the team also depends on whether he can integrate into the team's overall tactical system and whether he can establish a good tacit relationship with his teammates. In that sense, Claxton doesn't fit the Clippers.
While Claxton has some quality offensively and defensively, he is relatively weak in height and weight and could suffer against top interior players. Claxton and Harden work together tacitly, but it may be difficult for them to perform at their best with the Clippers. Therefore, bringing in Claxton is not a wise choice. For the Clippers, they need to be more cautious in their recruitment to ensure that the team can achieve better results in future games.
In the history of the NBA, the playoffs have always been the best stage to test a team's strength. On this stage, some teams can play well at critical moments, go all the way, and finally win the championship; And some teams falter in the playoffs and ultimately fail to achieve their dream of winning the championship. For the Los Angeles Clippers, they've had a good season but could face a lot of difficulty against top interior teams like the Lakers and Nuggets. The Big Three are getting older and may not be at their best in the playoffs. As a result, the Clippers may not be doing well in the playoffs.
We're going to see how far the Clippers have improved this season. Last offseason, the Clippers successfully brought in two All-Stars, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. The addition of these two players has greatly improved the strength of the Clippers and made the team a strong team in the West this season. The Clippers also have a decent interior player, and that's Ivica Zubac. In the regular season this season, the Clippers finished 44-20 and finished fourth in the West. Such a result is undoubtedly a huge improvement for the Clippers, who were still teetering on the brink of the playoffs last season.
As we said, the playoffs are the best stage to test the strength of a team. On this stage, the Clippers could face a lot of difficulty. The Clippers could be at a disadvantage against top interior teams like the Lakers and Nuggets. The Lakers have the league's top interior duo like James and Davis, and their dominance on the interior is undoubtedly very strong. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have an interior behemoth like Jokic, and his all-round ability on both the offensive and defensive ends makes his presence a nuisance for any team. In such an inside matchup, the Clippers' Big Three could be under a lot of pressure.
The Clippers' Big Three are getting older and may not be at their best in the playoffs. Paul George is over 30 years old, and although he still maintains a high level of competition, his physical condition and recovery ability have declined significantly compared to when he was younger. Similarly, Kawhi Leonard has missed a lot of games this season due to injury, and his injury is also unknown for his performance in the playoffs. In such a situation, it is a question to watch whether the Clippers' Big Three can perform at their best in the playoffs.
We also need to see how inadequate the Clippers are on a tactical level. While the Clippers have had a good season this season, they still have a lot of problems at the tactical level. For example, the team's offensive system relies too much on the individual ability of the Big Three and lacks team cooperation; On the defensive end, the team also often leaks and does not change the defense well. These issues may not be obvious in the regular season, but they could be the team's Achilles' heel in a high-intensity game like the playoffs.
While the Clippers have had a good season this season, they may not have had a good run in the playoffs. The Clippers could face a lot of difficulties against top interior teams like the Lakers and Nuggets; The Big Three are getting older and may not be at their best in the playoffs. Coupled with tactical deficiencies, the Clippers' prospects in the playoffs are worrying. It's just a guess and analysis on our part, and the real results will not be revealed until the playoffs. Let's wait and see!