Daniel Waddleton
Oct 30, 2024
ABOUT A YEAR ago, the Los Angeles Clippers were welcoming James Harden via trade to a core of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Initially, the talk was about how Leonard and George had never played with a true point guard since arriving to LA in 2019—and how a high-level passer like Harden would be the key to unlocking their potential as a group.
While there ended up being some truth to that, the real impact of Harden's arrival was quietly seen in the unlocking of center Ivica Zubac. As Zubac built chemistry with Harden, he transformed into a different offensive player for Los Angeles, especially in pick-and-roll situations. Some around the league even claimed the Clippers basically got "1.5" players in the Harden trade, with Zubac’s improvement adding unexpected value.
Fast forward to present day, and the staple of the 2-1 Los Angeles Clippers is the James Harden – Ivica Zubac two-man game. Harden is averaging 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 11.7 assists a night while his counterpart Zubac is averaging 22.7 points, 14 rebounds, and 4.3 assists a night.
Zubac isn’t just thriving as a roll man; he’s a formidable post-up presence, averaging 4.7 post-ups per game (third highest in the league) and producing 1.07 points per possession on these plays, fifth best in the NBA. His evolution as a reliable offensive option has been a critical development for Los Angeles.
Norman Powell has also taken a notable step forward this season. For the first time since joining the Clippers in 2022, Powell has secured a consistent starting role and embraced expanded offensive volume. Known more for working within the flow of the offense as a spacer who can attack closeouts, Powell is now taking on more primacy duties, including pick-and-roll possessions and off-ball actions to create his own shots. He's averaging a career-high 26 points on over 18 shots per game, with an impressive 64.5% true shooting percentage – higher than both Stephen Curry and Devin Booker. The Clippers have adjusted their system to give him more touches, allowing Powell to shine as a high-efficiency scorer.
The Clippers' offense may not be the league’s best, but it’s at least been able to stay afloat, thanks to Harden, Zubac, and Powell. This stability has freed up the Clippers to lean on their true strength – a revamped, elite defense. Ranking third in defensive efficiency, the Clippers boast a lineup filled with exceptional individual defenders. Derrick Jones Jr., a new addition after a stellar defensive season in Dallas, has continued to impress. Powell and Terrence Mann always bring plus guard/wing defense, while Zubac, though not a high-blocking center, is still a strong deterrent in the paint, helping the Clippers hold opponents to just 42.7 points in the paint per game (fourth in the league). Off the bench, Kris Dunn has become their defensive ace, looking like maybe the best guard on guard defender in basketball. He’s been a nightmare for opposing point guards to deal with, making it difficult to run even simple high pick-and-rolls. And of course we can’t forget about the return of Nic Batum, who is nearly a guarantee to improve your overall team defense when he’s in your rotation.
Despite these strengths, it’s still hard to call the Clippers a sure playoff team in a deep Western Conference. That could change, though, if Kawhi Leonard returns. Leonard, who when healthy last season still displayed top eight player in the world impact, is predictably out right now. His extended health struggles since his 2021 ACL tear make it uncertain if we’ll see him back at his best – or at all. However, should Leonard come back and be able to bring what he did during the small 2023 playoff sample size, or during the much larger 68 game sample size last season, he could add just enough offensive firepower to push this Clippers team into serious playoff contention.
Harden is doing his best Houston Harden impression right now, but it feels like he’s just a little overtaxed at this point in his career. A healthy Leonard, with his 26.5% usage rate over the past two seasons, would relieve Harden of pieces of his scoring burden that might be too heavy at this point in his career. Harden would still be the lead creator and initiator, but Leonard would just make everything feel easier on that end of the court especially in late clock situations. Leonard would also allow Powell to move back to a sixth man role, but with more of a scoring punch then he may of previously had assuming the Clippers continue to use him this way. I think ultimately a healthy Kawhi could move this team into a top 15 offense.
If the Clippers could reach that benchmark on offense, combining that with a top 3 defense that Leonard would only be additive too turns into one nobody would want to see in April and May. Ultimately, the Clippers’ ceiling rests on Leonard’s health, but even without him, they have been one of the most intriguing teams early in the season. Their blend of defensive intensity and rising offensive contributions from Zubac and Powell make them a team to watch – a unit that could, with Leonard, become a real threat in the Western Conference
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