The James Harden era for the Los Angeles Clippers had been a disaster leading into Friday night. It may still be, but at least the losing streak has subsided.
Facing the Rockets in the NBA In-Season Tournament on Friday, LA was finally able to get a win, even over a quality opponent. It took all four quarters as Houston battled the Clippers until the closing seconds, but Harden and Co. got the first victory since he arrived via trade.
After the win, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN quoted Harden, who hit a big-time 3 late to secure the Clippers win, as saying he's "getting real close" to playing like himself again.
Harden's willingness as a facilitator was a huge reason for the Clippers picking up the win over the Rockets. He consistently drew the attention of the defense and found Ivica Zubac and others for key baskets to help lock up the victoy. The former MVP also shot well from the floor, but his playmaking might've been the biggest difference-maker.
Clippers first win of James Harden era still leaves room for improvement
Despite the victory, the Clippers still have issues that need to be resolved. The team doesn't appear to be running many offensive sets and has featured a lot of iso-ball with Harden. Russell Westbrook moving to a bench role seems to have solved some of that problem, but there was still a heavy use of isolation instead of team-oriented offense.
The only way Harden with the Clippers and the trade itself works out is if the star guard is willing to be a creator on offense. If he options to look for his own shot in spite of facilitating, his diminishing skill set as a shot-creator for himself will have negative results for Los Angeles.
For now, the Clippers can be happy to have the monkey of the losing streak off of their back. However, the adjustment priod is still ongoing for this team. They'll need to show what they did against the Rockets more consistently if they want to make a playoff run with Harden in the fold.
