The LA Clippers were celebrating the fact that they got ten years younger from the blockbuster James Harden trade, which brought in Darius Garland. Everyone in the organization was all smiles and hyped; however, in the aftermath of the swap, Harden has the Clippers looking like fools. He has been dominating, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have gone 4-1; meanwhile, Garland is still far from healthy.
In fact, over his five-game stretch with the Cavaliers, Harden has averaged 18.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds, shooting 50.7% from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc. His points look very different from years past, but that is because he's taking only 11.5 shots per game.
Thus, were the Clippers wise for dealing with Harden? The short answer is no. It was a move driven by a motive that did not pertain to winning in the moment, and now the Hall of Fame point guard is seeing tons of success with the Cavaliers, who have the equipment to go deep into the playoffs.
The Cavaliers knew aging a bit with James Harden was worth the production he brings
As a Cleveland Cavalier, Darius Garland’s tenure was nothing short of phenomenal. He will always be remembered, but in terms of his skill set, Garland was always missing a level of gravity that only a few superstar point guards, like James Harden, possess. This is why the Cavaliers did not mind the age gap.
In terms of scoring the ball, Donovan Mitchell has never had it easier; he is loving his time, so far, with the 11-time All-Star. It also helps Mitchell and the Cavaliers as a whole that the duo has a championship goal in mind and is willing to make sacrifices to bring a ring to the city that has not seen one in almost 10 years.
However, Mitchell is not the only one who has been positively impacted by Harden’s attention; Jarrett Allen is also in the same boat.
Allen has averaged 19.0 points, shooting 71.7% from the floor since the blockbuster trade, and most of it has been effortless.
That said, the Clippers do not appear to be winners for letting Harden go. It is evident that a mistake was made, and the perception for LA will only get worse, as each loss with Darius Garland on the sidelines is a justification for why the superstar should have been granted his financial wishes.