The sacrifice and transformation of the Big Four helped the Clipper set sail again

Before you know it, the Clippers are in the top 4 in the West, and they have won 10 of their last 12 games.

This small wrecked ship has been transformed into a large aircraft carrier.

Let's turn our attention back to Nov. 7 at Madison Square Garden, where the Clippers travel to the Knicks.

This is the first time James Harden has appeared in a Clippers jersey in his career, and all eyes are on it.

In the 94th second after the start of the game, when Harden touched the ball for the first time, he was standing on the right wing, and Knicks guard Grimes touched Harden's ass to defend him.

Harden used Zubac's cover to kill the restricted area, and in front of Knicks center Miro interfered with a pair of long arms to minimize Harden's vision.

Seeing that the attack had been killed, Harden made a pass between Milo's legs and found Zubac, who had no choice but to foul from behind.

That's what the Clippers want Harden to show, coming to his fourth team in four years, missing training camp and the first two weeks of the regular season, but still the best ball handler in the league.

It's just that the night was a mess for the Clippers, who lost 97-111 and had 22 turnovers. Counting this one, they suffered a wave of six consecutive defeats.

This sparked criticism of Harden and discussions about such incompatibility between Leonard, George, and Westbrook.

Of course, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said from the start that he would need 10 games or so to find the ideal lineup after Harden joined.

However, after that, the Clippers and Harden each used their performances to redefine the definition of the Clippers this season.

After completing the team's daily shooting drills, Harden will take the initiative to practice with Zubac to develop their chemistry on the court and find the right time to feed the big man.

Then, Harden would practice catching and shooting in the open position for a while, which would have been unimaginable a few years ago, and as Harden himself said, he needs to have the ball in his hands, he is the system itself.

But now, the Clippers need him to play some off-ball at the right time.

Lue tried to plant some words into Harden's heart, and after an early losing streak, after all the arguments about play, tactics, and unhappiness, Harden finally began to understand what Lu's guidance meant.

"I have to shoot catch-and-shoot. "I haven't really had a catch-and-shoot since my days with the Thunder," Harden said. ”

Harden did it. Harden has shot 35 percent of his three-point shots this season, up from 27 percent last season. He averaged six shots per game and shot a career-high 42.9 percent from three-point range.

Catch-and-shoot reduces Harden's load and increases his efficiency.

Last season with the 76ers, Harden averaged nearly nine minutes per game, second in the league behind Doncic and 66 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions.

This season, Harden is averaging just six minutes of possession per game and 43 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions.

The result is that Harden is able to score 1.33 points per single, the most efficient of any player who has singled out at least 50 times this season.

The Clippers ended their losing streak by winning five of their next eight games.

Entering December, the Clippers played a wave of 9 consecutive wins, which is the longest winning streak in the team in the past 8 years, defeating the Nuggets, Kings and Mavericks along the way, which is called the "Northern Expedition".

On the face of it, Harden's stats have dropped.

This season is the first time since 2012 that he has averaged less than 20 points per game, averaging just 11 shots per game, also the lowest since 2012.

But after a six-game losing streak, the Clippers are 14-5.

"That's the greatness of Harden," Lue said. "In the past, Carl and George had to shoot, they had to create their own shots. ”

George averaged a career-high 20 half-court offenses with the ball last season.

This season, he averaged just 13 per game. It would undoubtedly be more appropriate to let George return to the better handling of the ball.

The small card has also dribbled and controlled less this season. He averaged 29.3 points, 6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in nine games in December, shooting an astonishing 61%-50%-96% from three.

There is also Wei Shao, who took the initiative to play as a substitute to bring the team's winning streak.

During his start, he had the second-highest pass turnover rate in the league at 4.2 per cent.

After coming off the bench, that number dropped, down to 1.8 percent, and was dynamic on the defensive end. Among players who have defended at least 175 shots, players under Willis have the second-lowest shooting percentage in the league and the third-lowest effective shooting percentage in the league.

Among the players who have defended more than 1,200 touches, players under Wei Shao's defense also rank in the bottom 10 in the league in points scored by a single touch.

"It took us a little bit to get used to it because he played at a completely different pace and style, which we hadn't encountered before," Zubac said, with whom Harden worked on the pick-and-roll. "But he's made it easier for all of us. ”

The Clippers' starting five (Pepperdon, Zubac, Mann) have become the fourth-most efficient five-man starting lineup in the league, winning by 16.5 points per 100 possessions.

As a side-by-side comparison, last season's championship Nuggets' super starting five won by 13.1 points per 100 possessions.

Yes, everything is different with the Clippers. On December 17, the Clippers defeated the revenge Knicks 144-122 at home.

"You can see the flow of the ball from the Clippers, they've learned how to play with Harden and they're getting more comfortable with Harden. ”

Knicks guard DiVincenzo said. "They've got a lot more rhythm and they're still often one-on-one, but they've also got the ability to play fast, they've got better space, and with a top passer like Harden, they can hurt you in more ways now than they used to. ”

Last week, the Clippers challenged the Pacers on the road, and Harden scored 35 points and nine assists and made eight three-pointers. After the final three-point shot, he lay on the floor and celebrated.

Harden's teammates, including the introverted Ka, gathered around him to celebrate.

"When Harden first came in, we lost those games and everybody thought we failed, and that was definitely a disservice to us. ”

Speaking after the game, Zubac said: "But we've been trying. I think Harden's three-point shot moment is when you see everything coming back. It was a great moment and we were all happy for him. ”