The Clippers Are the Nuggets’ Biggest Threat in the West

After a slow start in the wake of the James Harden trade, L.A.’s plan is finally coming together.

It turns out a team with likely four Hall of Famers is pretty good.

That’s the headline takeaway from the Clippers, who are in the midst of a nine-game winning streak entering Thursday. Los Angeles sputtered rather embarrassingly after first acquiring James Harden, losing its first five with him in the lineup. But the team got a grip. Tyronn Lue made some necessary adjustments. Harden played himself into shape. And now the Clips have to be considered the second-best title contender in the conference.

Look, I know it’s a bold statement. And I intend no disrespect to the likes of the Timberwolves and Thunder. There’s a lot to unpack here, but let’s get into it.

Ever since the Clippers successfully navigated having Harden in the lineup, Leonard has looked like his old self, often the best player on the floor.   :: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Starting with the Clippers, the team is 14–3 since Nov. 17, a date that coincides with Lue moving Russell Westbrook to the bench. In that time, L.A. has the second-best net rating in the league and the most wins. Splitting up Westbrook and Harden has been beneficial. In their first five games together as Clippers, the third-time duo shared the floor for an average of 17 minutes a night. Since Westbrook moved to the bench, he and Harden have played only about 8.6 minutes together per game.

Putting the ball in Harden’s hands with the starters has proved beneficial. He remains an elite distributor, creating easier looks for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. And Harden’s own efficiency has increased as well. The starting five of Harden, Kawhi, PG, Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac has a 16.5 net rating in 236 minutes together. Meanwhile, Westbrook–led groups—either bench units or him in place of Harden—have also thrived as he doesn’t have to roam as much off the ball, when defenses can muck up the floor.

(George deserves a ton of credit, too, by the way. He’s underappreciated for how well he fits in around all these other stars, always adding and never taking away from what others are good at.)

Amid all of this, and perhaps most important, Kawhi has looked like, well, Kawhi. There’s never any question about Leonard’s talent. He’s stayed healthy this year, and it’s made a massive difference. He’s played in all 27 of the team’s games so far and continues to produce with Terminator-like efficiency. Leonard is over 50% from the field and over 40% from three. So far in the month of December, during which the Clips haven’t lost, Kawhi is putting up 29.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game while shooting 61.3% from the field and an even 50.0% from three. There are nights when Kawhi looks like not only the best player on the floor but also the best player in the world.

And that’s the biggest reason why I put Los Angeles below only Denver in the West. I know the Nuggets have essentially owned the Clippers since their second-round series in 2020. But Harden genuinely gives this team another gear to go to. The frontcourt depth once Mason Plumlee returns will be solid. Keeping up with three perimeter stars will be difficult for everyone. And Kawhi can go toe-to-toe with any star in a seven-game series.

I’m not saying I would pick the Clips over the Nuggets today, but this version of Kawhi must be feared. We’ve seen him mow down the likes of LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry when healthy during the playoffs. That’s a dimension I’m not sure teams like the T-Wolves and Thunder have.

Minnesota and Oklahoma City are having fantastic seasons. And both are capable of making noise in the playoffs. What they lack is the big-game experience of the Clippers. Leonard has two Finals MVPs. Harden hasn’t always been good, but he’s played in high-stakes moments. PG has been a playoff fixture. Same for Russ. Lue has been to four Finals. This matters until the T-Wolves and Thunder get a few runs under their belt, especially when you add the desperation the Clippers’ stars must be feeling as they get later into their careers.

Denver is still the favorite, in my opinion. But after a slow start in the wake of the Harden trade, the Clippers’ plan is undoubtedly coming together.