Although Kawhi Leonard has been one of the top players in the NBA for months, his takeover of the All-Star game with 31 points in 12 minutes for ‘Team Stripes’ versus ‘Team World’ was the cherry on top that cemented the James Harden trade as an infinite loss for the LA Clippers. They really decided to blow up a winning scene that Leonard took by storm with peak basketball.
It hurts more knowing Leonard had this performance in front of a handful of celebrities, highly regarded names around the league, and, biggest of all, the Clippers’ home crowd. Everyone, including the millions worldwide at home, was allowed to witness how foolish LA was for dealing with a former MVP.
Thus, the Clippers are evidently feeling regret, as Leonard does not get to return to regular-season activities with an elite playmaker by his side, who consistently brought out the best in him.
Kawhi Leonard will be lost without James Harden as his co-star
Kawhi Leonard can put on a show on his own, as seen after the trade deadline, but it is an understatement to claim that he needed James Harden on the court to have a chance at winning the NBA Finals.
The floor's general aspect is self-explanatory, yet Leonard will also feel the rise in attention from defenses. They can just focus on him now, without having to fear Harden for his strengths in step-back three-pointers and at the charity stripe.
In fact, according to the NBA’s two-man lineup statistics, Leonard and Harden shared the floor for a total of 734 minutes, logged an offensive rating of 120.9, and a notable assist-turnover ratio of 1.81.
They clearly had a great connection, and extra credit should go to Harden, as he had the biggest individual impact on Leonard’s elevated three-level scoring. If the 11-time All-Star were not constantly surveying cracks in the defense that the two-time champion could expose, his 27.9 points per game would look a lot different.
Additionally, off the court, Harden was one of the few with whom Leonard would always be smiling and laughing. Their personalities have clicked since they were first introduced as teammates, and the rest has been history.
That said, the Clippers messed up big time in their deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Harden was the perfect complement to LA’s face of the franchise, and the All-Star game ultimately backed up how wrong the front office was for switching point guards.