At this point, it is clear that plenty of people are counting out the LA Clippers this season. Doubters are coming from every side, with all of them eager to proclaim that the Clippers have taken a step back and are primed to finish much lower in the standings. Some are even so bold as to put them below teams like the Houston Rockets.
But these outsiders should be careful with their confidence. LA may not have Paul George and Russell Westbrook anymore, but it is clear that they became a much deeper team over the course of the offseason. Of course, everything will always come down to Kawhi Leonard's health in the end, but the supporting pieces are what has improved so drastically.
Nic Batum said as much at training camp in Hawaii on Thursday. Speaking with members of the media, Batum was asked about who had stood out to him most in training camp thus far. He was quick to give credit to several of his teammates with excellent showings, but one name seemed to be emphatic above the rest as he listed his teammates: James Harden.
"T-Mann (Terance Mann) is looking good," Batum said. "James is ready to go. It's good to see him like that, like his old self. It's kind of scary sometimes. He looks like his old self."
Nico says that Terance Mann, James Harden, Bones Hyland have stood out to begin camp. And himself 😆 pic.twitter.com/oEgiIAL0gH
— Law Murray 🏟️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) October 3, 2024
Batum says Harden looks like "his old self"
Now these are some eyebrow-raising words from Batum. It is typical for players to hype up their teammates about their training camp performances, especially when asked directly. But Nic did not have to use this specific description, yet he did. Like his old self? The rest of the NBA should be shaking in their boots upon hearing this.
For those who have forgotten, or for those who are maybe newer NBA fans, James Harden had one of the greatest offensive peaks in NBA history before he slowed down a bit due to injuries. Prior to the 2020-21 season, James was on a four-season offensive stretch the likes of which few players in the history of the league have achieved.
Now, it is probably not reasonable to think that Harden will come out and be putting up 40 points per game in a month like he did back in January 2019. Those times for James were like lightning in a bottle, and Clippers fans remember them well from being on the other side of his incredible performances at the time.
But at the very least, this should give the fanbase some healthy optimism for what is to come from Harden this season. As Batum points out, James is getting a proper training camp and preseason this season, something he did not have last year. The pieces are certainly in place for a big season from Harden.