Averaged 31 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists per game, averaging 38 minutes per game! Although Harden worked hard, it was difficult to change the outcome.

It’s been almost a month since the NBA regular season started, and the situation in the Western Conference is quite chaotic. The Thunder only lost one game to the Trail Blazers in 14 games before the start of the game, and they were still careless and were reversed by 22 points; the Nuggets have only lost to the Warriors and Trail Blazers since the start of the game, and the Rockets have only lost to the Thunder + Pistons + Spurs since the start of the game. From the winning rate to the net efficiency value, including the dominance on both ends of the offense and defense and the minimum star leadership limit, these three teams are the biggest favorites to win this season from all aspects. But what is more surprising is that there are only 8 teams in the Western Conference with a winning rate of more than 50% this season. The Clippers + Grizzlies + Mavericks + Kings have all been reduced to accompanying the bottom Pelicans. Every family has its own problems. Both the Kings and Grizzlies want to dismantle the team and send away the core to rebuild. The Mavericks are refusing to play because of their thick eyebrows. The Clippers are in the most complicated situation.

As the team that made the most noise during the offseason, it sent away Powell in exchange for Collins, and successively signed Luo + Bill + Paul. Unexpectedly, after the regular season started, there was no hope. Paul was abandoned, Collins was put on the bench by Tyronn Lue, Bill was reimbursed for the season, and Luo couldn't run anymore. The key team also had a small card. After suffering an ankle sprain, he "disappeared" and was suspended for 7 consecutive games. There is no specific return timetable, and only Harden is left to support him. The Clippers have 4 wins and 9 losses since the start of the season. The record is very bad. Harden's unique ability to guarantee the minimum limit in the regular season in the past seems to be ineffective this season. However, more and more media, including Clippers reporters, are complaining about Harden. Some US media even suggested that Harden should take the initiative to leave the team.

Let’s look at a few sets of data first. Harden has played 12 games this season, averaging 36 minutes per game and averaging 26 points, 6.3 rebounds and 9 assists per game. After entering November, Harden played an average of 38 minutes per game. During the game against the Suns, Harden was forced back to play by Tyronn Lue while suffering from a bad cold (played 41 minutes). He was confused and only scored 13 points on 4-for-15. Except for this game, in the remaining 7 games, Harden averaged 30.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9 assists per game! Especially in the last two games, against the Mavericks, Harden scored 41 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in 51 minutes; against the Celtics, Harden only had 5 points in the first half and 32 points in the second half. Especially at the last moment, Harden kept throwing three-pointers and almost dragged the game into overtime!

White, the core of the Celtics, lamented: We really should have fouled Harden. Fortunately, he missed the last shot. This season, when Harden is on the court, the team's offensive efficiency is 119.5, fourth in the league; when he is not on the court, the team's offensive efficiency is 101.1, which is at the bottom of the league! After reading these sets of data, we can basically predict the ending of the Clippers this season. Harden will either suddenly collapse at a certain point; or he will persist until the end, but wanting to enter the playoffs is undoubtedly a fantasy! And there are two details that are easily overlooked: First, Clippers general manager Frank previously revealed that in addition to an ankle sprain, Kawhi also had a serious foot injury. Secondly, when the Clippers lost six games in a row, Tyronn Lue made it clear that he was not worried about being fired and that the management supported him in leading the team out of trouble.

Let’s start with Kawhi. The Clippers team reporter captured footage of Kawhi training before the game. But from the team’s perspective, why did it remain secret and deliberately ignore the negative impact of Kawhi’s absence on the team? In fact, the reason is very simple. Kawhi's injuries and leadership ability in the past six seasons have caused the team to lose confidence, so the Clippers have significantly reduced their expenses since last summer. Including this year's offseason, the contracts for Harden + Da Luo + Batum + Dunn all come with team options, and Collins's expired contract makes it easy for the team to tear down and completely rebuild at any time! The Clippers' reconstruction capital must be the bargaining chip brought by the Kawhi trade. Then it is clear that the Clippers can lose, Kawhi must be completely healthy, otherwise Kawhi will be worthless in the free market, just like George and Embiid.

Why did the team fire Tyronn Lue? In the summer of 2024, the price of Tyronn Lue's contract extension with the Clippers was 70 million for five years. From the team's perspective, perhaps firing Tyronn Lue can help the team improve its performance in the short term, but there is no upper limit this season. If Tyronn Lue is fired, his salary will be paid, so why spend more money to hire a new coach? Taking a step back, even if Kawhi is finally healthy and he wants to take the initiative to share Harden's pressure, what if the team doesn't let him? Does the team just want him to stop getting injured, just to maximize the benefits of the trade? Tyronn Lue wants to improve his performance, but he can only continue to overdraft Harden. He knows that others can't stand it, such as directly abandoning Paul! Therefore, the management is actually the most relieved when Kawhi is injured this time, because Kawhi has been delayed for 6 seasons, not less than this year.

Harden worked very hard, but after analyzing the situation of the Clippers team, he discovered that he was the real victim. Role players can definitely maximize their value next to Harden. The coaching staff can only continue to consume Harden, and the management has completely seen the truth of the team's decline in the past six seasons. Then the next step is to consider stopping losses and when to stop losses. Harden works so hard, but it can't change any outcome. The team will not trade him for help, and Tyronn Lue will not cherish him and use him with caution. Cherish Harden's performance this season, because if he keeps playing like this, he may fall at any time, and the Clippers will be completely turned into a mess.