The Clippers’ season didn’t exactly start with fireworks. At one point, they’d dropped 21 of their first 27 games, and whispers around the league started swirling - would James Harden be on the move again?
But fast forward a few weeks, and those trade rumors have cooled off significantly. The reason?
Harden, a Los Angeles native, has found his rhythm, and the Clippers are finally starting to look like the team many hoped they’d be.
For Harden, playing in his hometown clearly means more than just a change of scenery. “Being at home, that’s like the opportunity of a lifetime for me,” he told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
“Just be able to hoop in front of my family, friends, people I grew up with, people that raised me. It’s a different feeling.”
That connection to L.A. isn’t just sentimental - it’s showing up in his play and his leadership. The Clippers have gone 11-2 over their last 13 games, clawing their way back into the Western Conference mix. They’re still technically on the outside looking in - tied with the Grizzlies at 17-23, but behind on the tiebreaker - but the momentum is real, and Harden isn’t lacking confidence.
“Some teams, when it gets that bad, they just let the wheels fall off,” he said. “The losses are frustrating, but the confidence is still there.”
And it’s not just talk. Harden pointed to the team’s improved defense and attention to detail as key factors in the turnaround.
“Finding little tweaks and being a lot better defensively is what really helped us out,” he said. “Now we got to take one game at a time… We can come all the way back, but we have to chip away, chip away and really build some momentum going into the All-Star break.”
Of course, Harden’s not doing it alone.
Kawhi Leonard has been nothing short of dominant during this stretch. Over the last 13 games, Leonard has been putting up MVP-caliber numbers: 32.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.6 steals per game, all while shooting a scorching .507 from the field, .440 from deep, and .916 from the line. That’s elite efficiency on elite volume - and it’s been especially noticeable in crunch time.
“He’s been huge for us in the fourth quarters the last, what, three, four weeks,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “Just going down the stretch and taking those games over down the stretch has been huge for us.”
Unfortunately for the Clippers, Leonard will miss Friday’s game - his first absence since November 22 - due to a right ankle sprain. It’s a setback, but given how crucial he’s been, the team will likely prioritize getting him fully healthy rather than rushing him back. They may also be without center Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain) and forward John Collins (right groin soreness), both of whom missed Wednesday’s win over Washington and are listed as questionable.
Off the court, the Clippers are also dealing with some legal noise. Lawyers for team owner Steve Ballmer have filed to dismiss a lawsuit alleging Ballmer used the now-defunct green banking company Aspiration to funnel money to Leonard.
Ballmer’s legal team is calling the claims “sensational” and “patently false.” The situation remains ongoing, but for now, the focus inside the locker room seems to be squarely on basketball.
Meanwhile, Chris Paul’s situation remains unresolved. Though the Clippers announced they were “parting ways” with the veteran guard back in early December, he’s still technically on the roster as the team explores trade options rather than waiving his guaranteed deal. Paul, speaking recently on Good Sports with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson, made it clear he’s not done yet.
“I’m working out and training every day,” Paul said. “I just love this game so much that I don’t want it to end like that.”
He’s enjoyed the time off - especially getting to attend his kids’ games - but he’s still holding out hope for a fresh start somewhere else before the season ends.
So here’s where things stand: the Clippers have gone from spiraling to surging, thanks in large part to Harden settling in and Leonard playing like a man on a mission. There’s still plenty of work to do - they’re not in playoff position yet, and health remains a concern - but the belief is there. And in a wide-open Western Conference, that might be all they need to keep climbing.