Congratulations! The Clippers are in first place in the West, and they won 26 games in 31 games, and the trade for Harden was a big success
On February 7, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, but there were big upsets in the West one after another, the first Thunder lost to the Jazz, and the second Timberwolves were reversed by the Bulls. In this way, the Clippers without a game directly lie in the first place in the West, which is quite surprising, but this is also inseparable from the recent hot performance of the Clippers, and the role of Harden has also been reflected in the recent past.
I still remember when Harden joined the Clippers and suffered a six-game losing streak, saying, "It's going to be a scary moment when we figure everything out." ”
When Harden said this, he was also ridiculed by the outside world, after all, the Clippers have suffered 6 consecutive defeats and the momentum is very low. As for Harden's situation, it is also believed that his form has declined seriously, and he may not even be able to gain a foothold in the NBA next season.
But after that, the Clippers started to get into the rhythm, kept winning games, the team momentum was very hot, and the Big Four quickly established a good tacit understanding. And in the last 31 games, the Clippers have a 26-5 record, the first in the league during the same period. You know, the Clippers only achieved a record of 3 wins and 7 losses at the beginning, and the outside world thought that the Big Four were incompatible at the time, but then the Clippers began to counterattack frantically, and now their record has come to 34-15, directly rushing to the first place in the West, and the direct Northern Expedition was successful.
This is also due to the slump of the Timberwolves and Thunder, but it is mainly the strength of the Clippers themselves, if they can't win the game, they won't be in this position. Since December, the Clippers' offensive efficiency has ranked first in the league, and their defense can also play, fighting with the Heat is fighting defense, and fighting with the Hawks is fighting offense, which is their terrible thing, both offensive and defensive. Another key takeaway is that the team is very healthy, and Leonard and George have played at the same time for a record number of seasons.
Looking back at the Harden deal now, it was definitely a great success, and the people who sent away Batum and Covington were indeed a little reluctant, but the arrival of Harden raised the team's ceiling, and now it is the best proof. With Harden's organization, Leonard and George can have more energy to focus on the offensive end, the pressure is not very high, and the natural physical condition has become better. Finishing first in the West is just the beginning, and their goal is to win the championship.