Are you excited yet? The Clippers are determined to win a title while putting on their best basketball performance in team history.
James Harden #1 of the L.A. Clippers reacts after drawing a foul on a three-pointer against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on February 5, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Now that the All-Star weekend is in our rearview and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (our two All-Stars) are back with the team, it’s time to start thinking about the second half of the season.
29 games left before the playoffs is normally stressful for the average Clippers fan. Usually, we’re middle of the pack and if you squinted hard enough the team was sometimes kinda good and the fans would say, “I hope this team flips the switch by playoffs.” Except this year, the Clippers are really good. They don’t need to flip a switch. They are arguably the best version of this team in franchise history.
They might be the best team currently in the league as ESPN and TNT pundits are even saying they look like the team to win it all this year. Something Clipper fans aren’t used to hearing. It’s usually around now fans can feel the ground beneath our feet start to cave as we watch our season crumble away. But this season, you sense the difference: the Clippers are healthy; they’re winning games they would have lost in seasons prior; they have a fanbase and home-court advantage; when Leonard steps to the line to shoot a free throw you hear loud chants of “MVP” echoing throughout the stadium.
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the L.A. Clippers goes up for a shot against Jaime Jaquez Jr. #11 of the Miami Heat during the third quarter on February 4, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
After our most recent road trip, which saw us win 6-1, even the most ardent supporters are beginning to feel that this could be the year we raise the trophy. Winning away from home for seven games and winning all but one is an accomplishment that ties the team record. Winning on the road is difficult enough. We even momentarily topped the NBA power rankings and were in first position, which is currently third. This is quite the accomplishment, given that in November we were circling between ninth and eleventh place. This is a legitimate team. That switch has been turned on from the beginning and left there.
Still apprehensive? More reasons to be happy, perhaps?
Apart from Leonard and George being selected for the All-Star team, Ty Lue won the Western Conference Coach of the Month award twice in a row in December and January. The team’s 28-7 record, which is the best in the NBA since December 1, is the reason for the awards. Based on statistical data, the Clippers lead the league in three-point shooting (41%), and they also have the greatest offensive rating.
James Harden’s assists are pushing this team to new heights even though he is taking less shots than he has on average during his career. Leonard and George are producing more offensively. George is averaging 22.5 points per game, while Leonard is shooting 45 percent, his greatest three-point percentage of his career. George said that Harden’s arrival means he will be playing against the third-best defender on the other team, freeing him to focus on his game. It’s fantastic,” he told Los Angeles magazine. We need to be prepared for the ball and ready to catch and shoot.
Harden is the extra element that this team has always required to push. Although there were rumours that it wouldn’t work, the team as a whole improved after his trade at the start of the season. For instance, centre Ivica Zubac, who was long chastised for his rim-finishing, is now an integral member of Harden’s pick-and-roll attack. Harden remains after practices to work with Zubac, the media was informed.
“I’m very elite and as an individual, I can fit in with anybody and make a championship run work,” Harden declared to Los Angeles. In light of the individual statistics, I believe we are all in agreement that those things are, you know, behind us. I believe everyone is aware of the one objective we all share.
