One more win. Yes, that’s right, something so simple, yet challenging at the same time, is all it’s going to take for James Harden, the former LA Clipper, to take the Cleveland Cavaliers into conference finals territory, as he is fresh off a game five win versus the Detroit Pistons that ended in overtime.
But, more notably for Clippers fans, he was never able to make it anywhere as deep into the playoffs as he is about to with the Cavaliers. In fact, the furthest he ever got was to the first round, where he lost in consecutive seasons, once to the Dallas Mavericks and once to the Denver Nuggets.
That said, what does Harden’s run with Cleveland say about the Clippers? He’s on track to do something special for a new team in such a short amount of time, which highlights how LA might’ve been the problem.
The Clippers didn’t supply James Harden with enough to be taken far
James Harden’s success with the Cleveland Cavaliers should not change the narrative on his failures with the LA Clippers in any shape or form. He had several concerning performances when the lights were brightest, and rightfully so, most of the blame was on him.
However, looking at his playoff game log with the Cleveland Cavaliers, there’s a common denominator: Harden has been subpar.
The scoring has been inconsistent, the playmaking has had its ups and downs, and the defense has been a concern, all of which were a factor on the Clippers.
For example, in game seven of the first round against the Toronto Raptors, Harden took only nine shots, made three, and went 20% from three-point range, yet the Cavaliers managed to close out the series by double digits.
Additionally, Harden has the second-most turnovers in the entire NBA in the playoffs. Still, the Cavaliers are alive, and closer than they’ve ever been to the Conference Finals since 2018.
This ultimately says that, outside of Kawhi Leonard and a few other guys like Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr., and Nicolas Batum, the Clippers as a whole didn’t have enough to take down teams the way they hoped.
It’s unfortunate, and a sad reality for the front office and fans to accept is that Harden hasn’t improved as a player, but the environment around him has.
If Cleveland wins game six against the Detroit Pistons, Clipper Nation will be interested in seeing what transpires, regarding Harden and his supporting cast, in Madison Square Garden.
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