James Harden's Clippers Tenure Off to Rocky Start

Former Sixers star having struggles with his new team

Dating back to the offseason, James Harden had his sights set on leaving the Philadelphia 76ers for the LA Clippers. During the first week of the regular season, he finally saw that wish granted. 

After taking a few days to ramp up, Harden finally made his season debut for his new team. Despite being surrounded by an array of stars, Harden and the new-look Clippers are off to a rocky start. 

In his first game with LA, Harden tallied 17 points and six assists in a double-digit loss to the New York Knicks. He followed that up by going for 12 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in a loss to his former team, the Brooklyn Nets. 

During his last game in Brooklyn, the fans let him have it. While at the line shooting free throws, the crowd proceeded to chant Sixers' GM Daryl Morey's name at him. 

Nets fans were chanting "Daryl Morey" while James Harden was shooting free throws😂 pic.twitter.com/RAC8PTUfc1

— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) November 9, 2023

Since the Clippers have traded for Harden, they have yet to win a game. To make matters worse, he also has the worst plus/minus on the team at -16.5. The next closest is P.J. Tucker, who also came over from the Sixers. He currently has a plus/minus of -4.7. 

Given the abundance of star-level talent on the roster, the Clippers are sure to turn things around eventually. That said, their gamble on more big-name talent has not looked good in its early iterations. 

As for the Sixers, they keep finding ways to win games. Following their win against the Boston Celtics Wednesday, they have sole possession of the top spot in the Eastern Conference. On top of that, new additions Nic Batum and Robert Covington have done well in their first few appearances for the Sixers. 

If a winner and loser from this trade had to be picked now, the Sixers are clearly benefiting more from the deal. Aligned with their success on the court, they have a lot of assets and financial flexibility moving forward.