23/24 Nov. 12 Box Score Analysis (11 Games)
Clippers top three: Another terrible night for the Clippers. It will probably get a lot better, but who knows when. There have been no signs that a turnaround is imminent. Through four games, George is the Clipper star that I am the least worried about. He’s posted two duds and two big lines beside Harden. His role has been fine with the former MVP in the lineup. His usage has not dropped yet although his assist rate has dipped slightly. Kawhi’s usage has dipped. I’m not worried yet, but it is something to keep an eye on. The Clipper is a bit of a buy-low if you can stomach the inevitable missed games. Historically, Kawhi has trended up as the year goes along. Harden is playing very passively at the moment. It’s possible he’s slipped a fair amount, but that would be surprising. He did have a very good year last year that included a couple of monster games in the playoffs. This is also a player who didn’t really have a camp or preseason to get his legs underneath him. He’s probably not in game shape just yet. It’s hard to say what his ceiling is this year, but I would be surprised if he wasn’t at least a top-40 player. If you can get Harden for a top-60ish option, I’d make that deal.
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