Get to know “Will James Harden Improve the Clippers Title Chances?” The NBA was formed in 1949 when the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America merged to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). The organization was failing by the 1980s until David Stern assumed the reins and helped to transform it into an entertainment company. Some slick, heavy marketing brought star players such as Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan to the world’s attention, and the world sat up and took notice of the NBA.
Of course, NBA teams are playing at the very highest level and the stakes are far from low. Players must train hard and play hard. Coaches must pick the right players and get the right strategy to lead their team to success in the league. The high stakes and the many different elements it takes to succeed in the NBA can create some tricky situations. Below is a look at James Harden, who moved to the LA Clippers in a trade that has, to say the least, surprised the NBA and basketball fans.
James Harden: the player
LA Clippers guard James Harden started out his life in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a 2009 draft third pick, following his sophomore season at Arizona State. There he averaged 19.0 points, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 5.4 rebounds. In his third season with the Thunder (2011-12), which was his last with the side, he helped the team to the finals.
From the Thunder, Harden moved to the Houston Rockets and led them to the playoffs each year. That includes steering them twice to the Conference Finals. In 2017-18, he was voted the MVP and also finished top three in the voting in each of the last four seasons.
In a January 2021 deal that people believed would give the Nets the type of big three names that would win a championship, Harden moved to the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately, Harden grew frustrated during his time in Brooklyn and felt like things weren’t working out with the side, so he pushed for a move to the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a desire that generated a lot of criticism for him. Some had suggested he had commitment issues.
After Harden had played just 16 games with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets traded him to the 46ers for former All Star guard Ben Simmons.
Moving to the LA Clippers
It may have become untenable to incorporate Harden back into the 76ers lineup. The guard had been out for a month with a foot tendon strain earlier in the season, and although some may not have batted eyelid at seeing James Harden leave the Sixers so soon, the trade between the two teams has still made big sporting headlines. The move has also impacted the NBA odds, with the Clippers now being seen as having more of a chance of winning the NBA championship this season. In this blockbuster trade, the Sixers parted company with Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev, who made their way over to the Clippers in return for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nick Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and an extra first-round pick from the Thunder.
What will the impact be?
It’s been a massive trade, but will it boost the Clippers’ championship hopes?
That’s hard to say, and some believe it won’t have a much greater impact on the team’s title hopes, namely because of the belief that the Clippers need a point guard to organize offense in big moments. These commentators feel the belief is mistaken.
What is clearer is that the Clippers have still done well out of the deal. Landing P.J. Tucker is a major win. Tucker was superb at defending in the power forward role against Nikola Jokic so the center could focus on playing help. The fact that the Clippers were able to keep Terence Mann is another win for the side. The team need someone, besides Russell Westbrook, who can push the pace.
The benefits for the Philadelphia team are more long term. Harden wasn’t the man to build a championship winning team around. The 76ers were good with him on it, but now that he’s departed, the side have two chances to think longer term but still craft a squad in the near term that can make lift the NBA title. In two seasons with Harden, they haven’t performed well in the playoffs and haven’t really looked like a side that has the edge necessary to win a championship.
James Harden showed real promise when he joined the NBA and performed especially well during his time with the Thunder. He also served the Houston Rockets well. However, his time with the Brooklyn Nets and the Sixers hasn’t been as fruitful, and some have their doubts about whether he’ll deliver for the Clippers. Only time will tell.
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