James Harden takes another shot at Philly after new role with Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers had lost six games in a row since trading for James Harden. Then, Russell Westbrook requested to come off the bench to allow him to run the show, and they’re now winners of three consecutive games.

Of course, the tough patchwasn’t just Harden’s fault, but it was hard for them to coexist on the court at this point in his career. Now, the former Houston Rockets star has more freedom to do what he does best, and it’s showing on the scoreboard.

When asked about this turnaround, Hardencredited Tyronn Lue for allowing him to be creative and get a better understanding of the rival’s defense, which gives him a chance to do more damage as a scorer and a playmaker:

“They just allow me to get creative and read the defenses and see what they’re doing on the defensive floor, and every game is different to where [Lue] sees something and I’m allowed to sit back and do it,” Harden said.

Harden Takes A Shot At Doc Rivers

Notably, Harden took another shot at Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers, complaining about the way he was deployed next to Joel Embiid. He now claims that he’s having a more similar role to the one he had in Brooklyn, as he’s a pass-first player with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George by his side:

“Not so much Philly at all, but definitely similar to Brooklyn to where [Lue] just allows me to be myself,” Harden stated. “And obviously he has certain plays and things he draws up after timeouts and whatnot, but we have our concepts. Obviously we know when [Kawhi Leonard] got it going, and [Paul George] got it going or in the pick and roll we’re generating really efficient shots. It’s pretty simple. It’s a game.”

This isn’t the first time that Harden has complained about his days in Philadelphia. He had already stated that the Sixers never gave him a long leash, even though he was their primary ball-handler, playmaker, and led the league in assists per game and total assists during his days there.

The Clippers Look Better

Whatever the case, moving Westbrook to the second unit was just what they needed to do to get over the hump. Now, Kawhi Leonard admits that having Harden pulling the strings of the offense takes so much pressure off him:

“The job has changed a little bit,” Leonard said. “Now I’ve got more energy on the defensive end, but when my number is called, I gotta be ready to attack and create plays for my teammates, so it’s a little different dynamic getting used to instead of me bringing it up or calling every play for me coming up the court. We got another player that could do the same and make it easier.”

When locked in, there’s no denying that Harden can be one of the most disruptive offensive forces in the game, and having this kind of supporting cast, he might finally make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time in over a decade.