If the Clippers subscribe to the notion that the third time's the charm, they should be encouraged about their new backcourt pairing of James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
The former MVPs reunite in their hometown after spending three seasons together with the Thunder and, more recently, the 2019-20 season with the Rockets. As teammates, Harden and Westbrook compiled a combined 196-106 regular season record and made the playoffs each of the four seasons they were together, including a Finals appearance with the Thunder in 2012.
As familiar as the two are with one another, things look much different this time around — Harden is now 34, Westbrook will soon turn 35 and the duo must fall in line behind star teammates Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Given the fact that offensively, each of LA's core four players is most impactful with the ball in their hands, there are very valid questions about how they'll make things work on the offensive end.
As this Clippers team begins its journey, head coach Tyronn Lue has given an idea of what things may look like.
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Why Clippers' James Harden-Russell Westbrook experiment will and won't work
Ahead of Harden's Clippers anticipated debut against the Knicks, both he and Lue met with members of the media in New York City. It was in both press sessions that fans got an idea of how the team plans to make things work.
When asked about the role of each guard, Lue told reporters that when Harden and Westbrook share the floor, Westbrook will be the point guard while Harden will play off the ball. It's a notable development, considering Harden has been one of the NBA's best point guards in recent years, leading the league in assists just last season.
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Why it will work
While the decision to begin with Harden off the ball may seem counterintuitive, Lue's rationale does provide some clarity.
Per Law Murray of The Athletic, Lue told reporters that having Westbrook at point guard will keep his defender engaged. With respect to Westbrook's strengths — and weaknesses — the decision does make some sense.
Since joining the Clippers last season, Westbrook is 23 of 69 (33.3 percent) on catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities. If he played off the ball, opposing defenses would shrink the floor by helping heavily, making life more difficult for George, Harden and Leonard.
While Harden is one of the game's best distributors, he converted 41.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s with the Sixers last season. He didn't do it in high volume (1.8 per game), but he can make teams pay.
Westbrook starting at point guard doesn't mean he'll exclusively play the position and Harden starting off-ball doesn't mean he won't have opportunities to play to his strengths as a scorer and distributor out of isolation. There's a path to make the moving parts work, but it won't be easy.
Working in their favor is the fact that Harden and Westbrook are two of the greatest players to ever play the game and both are in search of their first NBA title.
The pursuit of a championship is often enough to make sacrifices for.
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Why it won't work
As for doubts surrounding the pairing, an anonymous scout didn't hold back when offering their thoughts to The Athletic:
Honestly, I don’t know if [Harden] fits anywhere — like any team. …Maybe it’ll work out when the Clippers are injured and they have him playing instead of [Leonard]. But for me, in the last couple of years watching [Harden], I don’t think he has the same finishing ability. He doesn’t shoot the ball as well. He doesn’t have the same ability to get to the hole. … He’s not the same player. And I don’t think he’s willing to say, ‘I’m going to be a distributor’ — which he’s very good at. But I don’t think he’s willing to step into that role.
If Westbrook is to be the point guard in LA's starting unit, it will be difficult for Harden to completely adopt a distributor role. With respect to the notion of Harden regressing as a scorer and driver, he'll have a difficult time thriving in an off-ball role.
It would be hard enough for Harden and Westbrook to adjust to one another but it gets more difficult considering they will also be adjusting to playing off of two of the NBA's best talents in George and Leonard. The four of them are high-usage players.
| Player | USG% |
| Paul George | 29.4 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 26.7 |
| James Harden | 24.7 |
| Russell Westbrook (w/ LAC) | 24.2 |
This group doesn't have the benefit of training camp and the preseason to learn how to play alongside one another and they'll be learning on the fly with the deal being done a week into the regular season.
Availability will also be paramount — while Harden or Westbrook are more than capable of taking on bigger roles when key players go down, it will work against the development of chemistry.
In a Western Conference that's unforgiving, the Clippers essentially have five months to figure things out in order to prepare for the postseason. That's no easy task.
