Fans of the Los Angeles Clippers have been hoping for years now just to see Kawhi Leonard get healthy, stay healthy and be on the court producing for this team without frequent interruptions. And ironically, that is exactly what James Harden has been doing since he became a member of the organization.
When Leonard joined the Clippers in 2019, he was of course supposed to be the guy that got this organization over the hump and made them into an NBA champion. LA has certainly had its share of memorable and historical moments during the Kawhi era. But ever since the superstar tore his ACL during the 2021 playoffs, Leonard has been struggling to play consistently, and the Clippers are yet to win a playoff series since then.
In late 2023, Harden entered the picture for this team. While he was supposed to be just another great supporting piece for Kawhi, James has actually ended up taking the lead for the Clippers over the last two years in an unexpected way. Leonard missed the majority of LA's first round playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks in the spring of 2024, and then was out for an extended period to begin the Clippers' 2024-25 campaign.
James Harden is producing night in and night out for the Clippers
It was during that stretch where Harden established himself as a guy who wasn't yet ready to ride off into the sunset, still showing up to work every day and producing at a high level in Kawhi's absence. The result has been that he has ended up being what the fanbase had hoped to see from Leonard.
We can understand that with Kawhi's injuries, it's probably been hard for him to feel like himself lately. And at the same time, it's easy to see why Clipper nation is upset with their franchise icon being unable to play so frequently. Many are ready to move on from him and begin a new era. Some feel like they can't watch the games right now. But the reason many of the loyal fans are hanging around and still supporting is the incredibly selfless effort of James Harden.
In the span of the last two games, James has put up 41 points against the Mavericks in a win and 37 points on the road against the Boston Celtics. He's played 12 of the Clippers' 13 games this season, and continues to produce despite the odds clearly being stacked against him and his team.
Essentially, what we're seeing Harden do for this team is exactly what Clippers fans were wanting Kawhi to do. It's not Leonard's fault that he's hurt, but the fanbase has certainly grown weary of him constantly being off the hardwood. It's painful to imagine just where LA would be without James, and we can see that he is becoming the de-facto franchise player for the Clippers.