5 reasons why LA Clippers with James Harden, Paul George and Kawhi are on an 8-game winning streak
The LA Clippers are the hottest team in basketball. They just dropped 151 points in a win against the Indiana Pacers. The Clippers have now won eight in a row. The crew of older All Stars seems to be gelling after a sluggish start.
After trading for James Harden, the Clippers looked like they made all the wrong moves. LA lost their first five games with Harden in the lineup. He averaged just 15.0 ppg during that stretch.
They have turned it around since then. The Clippers are 13-3 with Harden since that span. Let’s take a look at what is working in LA.
Five reasons why LA Clippers are playing well
The trade for James Harden looked disastrous. It seemed like Steve Ballmer and his front office put together an aging roster that would miss the playoffs in a tight Western Conference.
Now the LA Clippers appear to be legit contenders to make the Finals. Here are five reasons why the LA Clippers are rolling.
#5 - Russell Westbrook accepting his role
Westbrook has accepted his role as a backup point guard. He has stopped taking his usual ill-advised and wide volume of shot attempts. Westbrook has thrived running the second unit. He has taken smarter chances with just 6.9 shot attempts per game in the month of December.
He is averaging 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season. His efficiency has seen an uptick this month, as he is averaging 17.4 minutes per game and shooting 52.7 percent.
#4 - Kawhi Leonard’s scoring
Leonard has returned to the top of his offensive game. He has led the team in scoring four times during the win streak. He has shown off his capabilities to be the top scorer and dominate a game offensively once again. He dropped more than 30 points in all four of those games.
#3 - Paul George’s health
The main reason the Clippers are playing well this season is health. This is the longest stretch they have had a healthy Leonard and Paul George together. The Clippers also got lucky that George’s recent injury only kept him out for one game against the Warriors.
The Clips still won but George’s availability has been a major key for LA. He is averaging 21.6 points per game in December and has scored at least 20 in six of his seven games this month.
#2 - Zubac’s rebounding
Ivica Zubac has been an underrated part of the LA Clippers run. He has been the solid big inside on the glass the smaller LA Clippers lineup needs.
He is averaging 9.8 boards per game this month. He has controlled the glass in multiple games, including his latest 16-rebound performance against the Pacers.
#1 - James Harden’s versatility
James Harden’s turnaround is the main driving force behind LA’s turnaround. Harden has proven his adaptability. He can play as the distribution point guard. He can also still take over a game on the scoring front.
He proved as much when he scored 18 straight points in the fourth quarter against the Pacers on his way to a team-high 35 points.