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16-Year NBA Veteran Makes Blunt James Harden, Paul George Statement

This former NBA All-Star made a blunt statement on LA Clippers guard James Harden and Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George

Joey Linn

Nov 10, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) and LA Clippers forward Paul George (13) react against during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
Nov 10, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) and LA Clippers forward Paul George (13) react against during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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The LA Clippers lost Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, leaving them with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden as their star duo. While this is better top-end talent than a lot of teams have, it remains to be seen if Leonard, Harden, and a collection of role players is enough to seriously compete in the Western Conference.

As for Philadelphia, the addition of George also comes with questions. While the nine-time All-Star was the top NBA free agent, Philadelphia will be paying George $56.6M when he is 38 years old.

This increases the already high pressure Philadelphia is under to win now, because building a high-level roster will only become more difficult the deeper George gets into his deal.

While the George signing is not without risk for Philadelphia, one former NBA All-Star made a blunt statement on what he brings to Philadelphia that Harden did not.

During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, 16-year NBA veteran Theo Ratliff said, "The one thing Paul George does that James Harden didn't do is play defense."

Harden's defense came and went in his first year with the Clippers, as the 34-year-old former MVP showed signs of ability on that end during stretches of games, while struggling to contain the ball in others.

George's defense saw similar fluctuations last season, with the four-time All-Defensive forward especially struggling to stay out of foul trouble.

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Joey Linn

JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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