The Los Angeles Clippers’ incredible eight-game winning streak has completely turned the narrative on its head. After criticizing the addition of James Harden to the Clippers’ roster, the media is now slowly acknowledging the dominance of the Clips’ offense, especially with James Harden finally finding his groove. In fact, ClutchPoints recently posted the numbers behind the Clippers’ resurgent form and claimed that the rest of the league should be scared of them.
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“The Beard has found his groove. The Clippers are on a roll. The rest of the league should be SCARED,” ClutchPoints wrote on X, after detailing the current form of the Clippers. However, NBA analyst JJ Redick dismissed the notion, replying, “Please stop using the word scared when referring to the NBA.”
During a recent discussion with Tim Legler on his The Old Man and the Three podcast, Redick had discussed in detail how NBA players aren’t really scared of any team or player. That’s a narrative completely fabricated by the media. Maybe a prime Shaq was the only player who could genuinely scare NBA guys, Legler and Redick had concluded.
Additionally, Redick has a good reason not to buy into the Clippers hype. When James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, teaming him up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the 2018 league MVP had posted a warning on his X account, writing, “Scary Hours.” The trio ended up playing only 16 games together before Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite their recent form, the Clippers are still sixth in the Western Conference standings, further showcasing why Redick said the rest of the NBA is not scared of them.
The Clippers are surging with James Harden as PG
The addition of James Harden to the Clippers saw a rocky start, as the Clippers lost five straight games and dropped to 8-10. To change the course of their season, Russell Westbrook voluntarily sacrificed his starting role and agreed to come off the bench to let Harden be the team’s point guard.
The move has worked wonders. Harden has been impeccable since becoming the primary ball handler for the Clippers. He is averaging 20.1 points and 9.8 assists, and is shooting 51.7% from the floor and 48.9% from beyond the arc right now.
Harden dropped a performance akin to his Houston Rockets days in the Clippers’ latest outing against the Indiana Pacers. He scored 35 points, dished nine assists, and converted eight of his eleven three-point attempts, helping his team win 151-127.
Apart from the Pacers, the Clippers have also beaten the Golden State Warriors twice, the Sacramento Kings, and the defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, during their eight-game winning streak. They will face the Dallas Mavericks next, the last team to beat them before their current run.
