20+15!22+19! The whole league says you're useless, but Harden can make you crazy and burst into a big rise
In the NBA active league, defensive blue-collar centers have always had mixed reviews, and sometimes, blue-collar centers are extremely efficient in eating cakes and grabbing rebounds, which can play a super wonder effect; In fact, a center that lacks the ability to score on its own is not useless. Like Capela, the king of cakes, who broke out wildly next to Harden, rose super, and left the Rockets, he was able to achieve a super triple-double of 13 points + 19 rebounds + 10 blocks in a single game, grabbing rebounds and defensive blocks to the extreme. 20+15!22+19! The whole league says you're useless, but Harden can make you explode like crazy and prove yourself.
During the Rockets period, James Harden was a super MVP + scoring champion + assist king, and after the 76ers came to the Clippers, Harden had a very good chance to win the championship this season. However, Leonard's unexpected injury cast another shadow over the Clippers' playoff run. In the Mavericks and Clippers series G1, Leonard was absent due to injury, and the likes of Harden, Paul George and Zubac broke out wildly and led the team to win the game. Moreover, the Clippers made 13-33 free throws to the Mavericks 20 less, and the Clippers still beat the opponent by 12 points, which shows that the Clippers' overall strength is above the Mavericks.
This season, the Mavericks traded for center Gafford and forward Washington, two players who are a perfect fit for Doncic and Irving. NBA statistics show that in the regular season, Doncic and Gafford started the game together, with a record of 18 wins and 1 loss, ranking first in the league in terms of winning percentage. In addition, Washington's 3D strength is also shining, and he can score 32 points + 5 rebounds + 3 assists + 5 steals in a single game to help the Mavericks win. After the regular season, everyone said that the Mavericks' mid-season trade was very successful, because the addition of Gafford and Washington allowed the Mavericks to play the best record in the second half of the season.
I remember that before the start of the Clippers and Mavericks series, fans across the league said that Gafford was going to blow up Zubac and others on the Clippers (because Gafford played well at the end of the regular season), and everyone thought that Zubac was useless in the playoffs and would definitely suffer. The result was very different from what was expected, completely different, Zubac G1 shot 10 of 17 efficiently, slashed 20 points + 15 rebounds + 1 assist + 1 steal + 2 blocks, and the plus/minus was the highest in the game at +16. Gafford G1 only made 1 of 4 shots, got 3 points + 0 rebounds + 0 assists, and the 2.08-meter center couldn't grab a rebound, which was very embarrassing. The real result is that Zubac blew up Gafford and blew up the Mavericks' interior line.
Even the Clippers fans themselves were stunned that blue-collar center Zubac could be so sharp. After the game, Zubac said, "Harden has been feeding me the ball, Harden and George have always trusted me and encouraged me, so I was very confident in making those shots, and I was very confident in the low post and I felt like I could play everyone with my back. Fans say that Zubac is not afraid of blue-collar centers, that Gafford is still a playoff rookie, and that Lively is a rookie, and that they look dwarfed by Zubac. Moreover, Zubac often broke out in the regular season, with 22 points + 19 rebounds + 1 assist + 3 blocks in a single game, 20 points + 17 rebounds + 5 assists in a single game, 24 points + 12 rebounds + 2 assists + 1 steal in a single game, etc.
During the regular season, Harden often practiced his inside and outside blocking tactics with Zubac, and the two of them also developed a good understanding with each other. The blue-collar centers that Harden has encountered in his career: Capela, Claxton, Sharpe, Zubac, etc., they can all explode wildly with the help of Harden, which is the power of a super passer. In Leonard's absence, the likes of Harden, George and Westbrook have to play more aggressively. Doncic and Irving are sure to play harder, and the Clippers and Mavericks will face off more intensely.