James Harden and Russell Westbrook began their time in the NBA together with the Oklahoma City Thunder, hoping to reunite after all these years in LA this season for a chance at their first championship.
Sadly for them, OKC is still playing as the West’s No. 1 seed — thanks in no small part to the blockbuster trade the Clippers once swung for Paul George — and without Kawhi Leonard healthy, the Clips had little chance to knock off the Dallas Mavericks.
Friday night’s 114-101 loss in Dallas ended the Clippers’ postseason after a mere six games. The fact that Kawhi was out didn’t spare Playoff P, The Beard, or Westbrook from catching all kinds of deserved heat on social media.
Westbrook is a fun personality, but his chaotic, often laugh-out-loud funny playing style that he’s refused to ever change continues to be his undoing. Even at 35 years old with all the tread he has on his tires, Russ can’t help himself but go 120% at all times. It makes an otherwise likeable former superstar not very likeable. People who defend him for the “role” he had to play in LA, I’ll just never get it. The dude played like garbage.
I guess since Westbrook has been on a decline for quite some time, it wasn’t realistic to expect much from him. When it comes to George and Harden, well, you’d hope for more if you were a Clippers fan. Has anyone checked on owner Steve Ballmer? Our guy might be catatonic at this point.
Remember that viral rant about Harden from that one broadcaster? You better believe that’s making hte rounds again. How prescient it turned out to be to describe his latest failure.
Dear reader, if you weren’t a fan of whichever team he hadn’t yet whined his way away from via trade request over the course of his career, did you ever at any point like James Harden? During his best days, he was a gimmicky star who flailed his arms and wept his way to the free throw line, or took relentless stepback 3-pointers and probably traveled on 65% of those attempts only to never be called for it. Then, the playoffs would always roll around, and guess what? The refs don’t give him those cheap-a** calls, and the guy folds like a cheap suit.
Guess what happened this time around? Same sh*t, different year.
Afterwards, Harden sort of lamented how certain teams like the Denver Nuggets have enjoyed continuity and can trust each other since they’ve had multiple years together.
My man James. If only there was — gosh I’m really searching here — some kind of explanation that you’re 100% personally responsible for as to why you haven’t enjoyed that type of continuity, or can’t earn the trust of your teammates.
But uh, congratulations I guess? At least your [empty] individual stats are piling up.
So obviously Paul George has gotten his fair share of criticism in many of the reactions already posted about Harden. Given all the flaws we know about Westbrook and Harden, PG is the guy who should’ve taken over with Kawhi on the sidelines. Instead, he came up small yet again when it mattered most.
People are questioning George’s competitive fire, and speculating (not without merit) that he already has one foot out the door.
That aforementioned trade where George came to LA from OKC? I had to look it up just to make sure it was real, and that the compensation involved was indeed that lopsided in favor of the Thunder. It was.
Get this, though: George wants to run it back with Harden and Kawhi in LA. You know, build that trust The Beard was referring to and try to sneak in a championship with an over-the-hill superteam.
What a comedy of errors. The one thing the Clippers for sure have going for them is an elite head coach in Tyronn Lue. He’s invested in the organization, but if I were him, and I could weigh my options, would I want to stick around to juggle all these egos and preside over such a sh*t show for another season? Or might I want to reunite with LeBron James as the coach of the Lakers — a team I played for once upon a time — without even having to move my personal residence? Lue is his own man. I know which way I’d be leaning, were I him.
Back to the drawing board for the Clippers in any event. They need a miracle and a stunning run of good health to run this thing back and have any hopes at chasing a title next season or beyond. Can’t say I wouldn’t be morbidly curious from afar to watch them try.
