As the meter was always based on skill and consistency, Kawhi Leonard was regarded as the LA Clippers’ most valuable player. This was a fact with Paul George and James Harden, two talents who were top three in the league at some point in their careers. But this season, particularly last night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden seized the crown after the Clippers collapsed once he left the game.
Furthermore, Harden needed a breather, just for a few minutes, and head coach Tyronn Lue rested him for Chris Paul with 2:59 left in the third, when the Clippers were down three, 81-78. Through Lue’s logic, the game would be managed well by Paul, and even if the Thunder’s lead extended a little, it would be okay, as the former MVP was going to play the rest of the way.
However, Lue thought a bit too highly of the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers, who allowed the Thunder’s advantage to go from three to 17 in less than ten minutes with Harden on the bench.
James Harden has been the Clippers’ best player all season
In six games this season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 24.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, shooting 50.5% from the floor and 40.0% from a distance, yet fans of the LA Clippers still consider James Harden to be better. That is how great the 12-time All-Star has been, as Leonard is looking like an early All-Star lock.
After the loss to Oklahoma City, Harden has posted 23.3 points, 8.6 assists, and 5.3 boards in seven games. His efficiency has also been phenomenal, and as a result, he is on track to have the best true-shooting percentage of his career this season.
On the contrary, last night, Harden was in a different mode. He outscored the Thunder by himself in the beginning of the first, 12-2, finished the quarter with 17, and the game with 25, along with six rebounds and six assists.
This is the level Harden had to be at to hand the Thunder their first loss of the season, but since Kawhi Leonard was out, and no one else aside from John Collins, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn were hungry to win, the Clippers accepted back-to-back defeats at home.
That said, although Harden may be older, he is confirmed to be the most valuable player on the Clippers. It was close between him and Leonard as to who has been better this year, yet one substitution by Tyronn Lue made the answer clear.