The landscape of the NBA was changed when the Philadelphia 76ers finally found a taker for James Harden. They agreed to a blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Clippers centered around the former MVP last week in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The 76ers sent Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to the Clippers in exchange for Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris Sr., KJ Martin and numerous draft picks. It ended a months-long standoff between Harden and the 76ers, as he successfully pushed for yet another trade.
But, unlike Tucker, who made his Clippers debut already, Harden has yet to get on the court. Alas, that is going to change tonight. According to Harden, shared by Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, he will be making his much-anticipated debut tonight against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: James Harden, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Barring anything unforeseen happening, Harden is good to go for Monday night after going through practice with his new team on Sunday. The Clippers haven’t played since last Wednesday when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime.
The lengthy time off between games has afforded Harden the chance to get up to speed with his new team. He has been taking part in 5-on-5 pickup games and scrimmages, learning the offense on the fly as he will likely be taking over one of the starting spots.
While head coach Tyronn Lue has not revealed what his plans are, Harden is expected to start alongside Russell Westbrook in the backcourt with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Ivica Zubac occupying the frontcourt. But, Harden will be monitored in the early going.
“I don’t expect to go out there and play 40-something minutes, but no restrictions [physically],” Harden said.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: James Harden, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
It will be interesting to see how the Clippers mesh together. Harden, Westbrook, George and Leonard are all players who operate well with the ball in their hands. Finding a happy medium, especially when it comes to someone like Westbrook who struggles playing off the ball, will be key to Los Angeles finding success.
Lue will certainly have his hands full, but staying healthy will be key for the team. If they have any hope of this working out, players will have to remain healthy and on the court to continue improving chemistry and cohesion.
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