What better way would the LA Clippers be able to outperform their 82-game performance from last season, where they won 50 games, than to add ten more to make it 60 in 2025-26? This initially sounds like a stretch, as only a select few rosters in league history, coached by geniuses, have achieved this feat. However, upon reviewing the details and new additions, seizing the opportunity seems feasible.
While no single regular season is flawless, the Clippers will have to come as close to perfection as possible to win 60 games, which would put them in a position to secure the first seed, unless a historic year occurs in which the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets achieve the same feat.
This team-universal goal may be new to many, including several veterans, but one player who has achieved this before and continues to break records to climb the all-time rankings is James Harden. He won 60-plus with the Houston Rockets in 2018.
This experience gives him additional leverage to do it again, even if he is in a new system, as there is no secret regarding the fact that winning a high number of games eases the difficulty of the playoffs, barring a severely talented team slipping down in the top eight.
Nonetheless, when Harden forced the Rockets to five wins away from 70, he was in a different role, and this is something Tyronn Lue should consider moving him back into with the placement of the modernized roster.
James Harden should go back to playing shooting guard next season with Chris Paul back in LA
Although he would not be the sure, set-in-stone starting floor general, Tyronn Lue should experiment with how much success the LA Clippers can lure in with Chris Paul at point guard, making James Harden the shooting guard. This was the same backcourt structure the first-seeded Houston Rockets had in 2018, and it could work eight seasons later.
Additionally, Harden, starring as the assigned two-guard, ultimately conserves his energy, as he would not have to dribble the ball and maneuver pesky defenders who love to pick up full court. That would be the duties of Paul, similar to old times.
That said, Harden would still be able to rack up assists and remain ball-dominant, signing his name to several wins. Yet, this role is something he has not been fully granted for years, which could reignite the old self that won an MVP with scoring numbers that millions still consider impossible.