2023-11-07 05:10:42
James Harden finally made his debut with the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 17 points and 6 assists. Unfortunately, the team collapsed in the fourth quarter and ultimately lost to the Knicks 97-111. Preliminary observations show that Harden’s debut performance is in line with expectations. Although there are problems such as running-in and chemical reactions that need to be resolved, he can still be optimistic regarding his offensive performance. Only the fundamental flaws of the Clippers’ formation may not be solved in a short time.
James Harden made his debut with the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 17 points and 6 assists. Unfortunately, the team collapsed in the fourth quarter and ultimately lost to the Knicks 97-111. Preliminary observations show that Harden’s debut met expectations. Although there are concerns regarding running-in and chemical reactions that need to be resolved, he can still be optimistic regarding the offensive performance. Only the fundamental flaws of the Clippers’ formation may not be solved in a short time.
In today’s game, Harden’s first two possessions of the ball were through pick-and-rolls, and he fed the roll-in center Ivica Zubac with two consecutive floor passes, bringing a passing method and perspective that the Clippers did not have before, paired with Russell Westbrook. This allows the Clippers to have two top defenders executing pick-and-rolls on the court. The embarrassing thing is that Zubac’s “cream hands” today were quite serious. He made 5 turnovers in the game and frequently missed passes from Harden. The angle, timing and height of several passes can make you feel how unfamiliar each other is. I believe this will gradually improve over time.
Harden also showed off his bomb disposal ability as a star at the beginning of the second and third quarters. His first shot was from the mid-range in front of two defenders. Before the end of the third quarter, Harden scored five points in a row, including a bypass. A three-pointer following passing the pick-and-roll screen. In the middle of the second quarter, the Clippers chose to let Harden lead the bench, which was one of the keys to holding on to the score. At present, it seems that the Clippers have plans to let Harden and Westbrook play separately. From today’s look, the two stars do play better apart than together. In the future, it depends on who is responsible for leading the second team. We can expect more from the Clippers in the future. Spare energy to ensure the scoring firepower of the bench.
Of course, Harden’s arrival is bound to have some running-in period. A lot of the time, he politely releases the ball, lurking on both sides to play without the ball. Most of the time, he just stands and acts as a shooter to open up space. It would be a pity that he failed to join the ball. The team’s empty-handed run. Defensive communication is also a key. For example, in the following shot, when Donte DiVincenzo grabbed the offensive rebound and ran to the other corner once more, the Clippers’ defense failed to rotate in time and still kept two players in the basket. Isaiah Hartenstein is blocked next. At this time, whether Harden goes around to pursue the defense, or Zubac is the nearest to defend, if one side can communicate early, there is a chance to avoid losing points.
The reason for the loss probably has nothing to do with Harden’s performance in this game. I will mainly blame it on the Clippers’ old problems and the worsening lineup flaws. First of all, there were 22 turnovers in the game, allowing Nick to score 35 points. Careless passing has been a problem for the Clippers since last season. The 17.2 turnovers per game before the game were the most in the league. Even though Westbrook is a player with a high turnover rate, when Paul George, Norman Powell, Bones Hyland and Zubac explode together, I’m afraid no team can withstand it.
In addition, the lineup is overly tilted toward guards. This was the case before Harden was traded, and now it has only worsened. Perhaps it will improve when the versatile Terance Mann returns to the team. For example, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Mason Plumlee unfortunately fell down, the Clippers might only use Moussa Diabate, who was inexperienced and immature, as the center, and then paired with three short guards such as Harden, Powell, and Hyland, Nick might easily find ways to use his height. RBI opportunity, scoring points in the penalty area, the result was a sudden beating, opening up a 7-point gap, which became a turning point in the game.
In addition, how to allocate Powell and Hyland, two scorers of the same nature, next to the four stars will be the biggest problem. Head coach Ty Lue tried to let Hyland take over the ball as a substitute this season, but most of the time his playing style is more Jamal Crawford instead of Lou Williams is difficult to run and organize the offense, which has also affected Powell this season. He performs too many singles with the ball instead of being the second line receiver in the past, further tearing the defense apart. When Powell is currently performing better, he is still paired with stars, able to get more high-quality gaps, and use his ability to grab points rather than his ability in isolation.
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