1 win and 5 losses! Averaged 32+8+8 per game, the king of NBA air cuts was born, maybe you should leave here

The Clippers lost to the Magic 101-129 in an away game. The huge 28-point difference was like a loud slap in the face of this so-called "championship giant". Before the game, the American data media FiveThirtyEight gave the Clippers a winning rate of only 31%. As a result, the reality was even crueler than the prediction - the Clippers, who did not have a small card and did not have enough helpers, were almost pressed to the ground in front of a group of energetic young people like the Magic. Throughout the game, the Clippers were beaten and trailed from the first quarter. After three quarters, the game basically lost all suspense, and entered garbage time early in the final quarter. This is not an accident, but a microcosm of the Clippers' true combat effectiveness this season.

Harden once again produced superstar-level personal data: 8 of 16 shots, 5 of 11 three-pointers, 10 of 12 free throws, 31 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals in 30 minutes, plus only 2 turnovers. If you were to pull out this data sheet, you would think it was a "divine possession" during the Rockets era. But the cruel reality is that the luxurious performance of 31+8+8 still resulted in defeat. In the past six games, Harden averaged 32.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 50.3%, a three-point shooting percentage of 42.9%, and a true shooting percentage of 68.3%. This is almost MVP-level output. But the Clippers' record? 1 win and 5 losses. Then stretch the timeline to the past 10 games, 1 win and 9 losses. So far this season, the Clippers are fourth from the bottom in the Western Conference with 4 wins and 11 losses. The championship team that once had high hopes has now become a complete loser.

When the former title of "Master of the Air Cut" is officially transferred to Harden from Westbrook, Big Eyebrow, and Booker, you will suddenly realize: This alliance has been cruel enough to Harden. His near-perfect personal performance resulted in a team-level collapse. Kaka's glass-like nature was completely exposed. He has only played 6 games so far this season and is on "indefinite rest" again. Bill was reimbursed for the season, and the Collins he got in exchange was far from Powell's level last season. The two veterans, Lopez and Paul, have not been forgiving with time. They are slow in movement, poor in confrontation, and are like a sieve on the defensive end. Even if Kawhi missed most of the season last season, the Clippers could still rely on the outside firepower of Harden + Powell, plus the inside support of Zubac, to barely maintain their competitiveness.

But what about now? Powell was traded away, Zubac has declined significantly this season, his offensive finishing ability is insufficient, and his defensive rim protection is not as good as before. The only firepower of the entire team is Harden. So we saw a ridiculous scene: 40-year-old Paul was eaten alive by the Magic's young guards on the court, Los Angeles' defensive end was called out, Zubac was rushed back, and Harden could only carry the explosive bag and make a hard solution again and again. Behind his 31 points and 8 assists, he was playing 1 on 2 and 1 on 3 in almost every round. He was the one who kept the team alive by drawing fouls and taking three-pointers again and again. But basketball is, after all, a sport of five people. When the teammates around you cannot provide even the most basic space and finishing ability, no matter how strong your personal ability is, it will be completely eliminated.

What's even more chilling is that Harden really doesn't owe the Clippers anything. These are all the faults of the management: sending away Powell, the most reliable scorer last season, in exchange for Collins; signing Beal, who has a high risk of injury; hoping that Kawhi can play 60 games... Now that the lineup has collapsed, all the blame has been thrown to Harden. Fans scolded him for "failed to unite", "not trying his best" and "the environment is not good wherever he goes", but who could see that Harden worked so hard every night but didn't even have a qualified helper? What's even more ironic is that his annual salary (40 million) is not even as high as Kawhi Kawhi (50 million) who is absent all year round. What are you talking about?

Harden's record of leading the team to the playoffs for 16 consecutive seasons is now in danger of being ended. From leading the Thunder to the playoffs as a rookie in the 2009-10 season, to the Rockets, Nets, and 76ers, he has been able to lead the team into the top eight no matter what the environment. But this time, he might really be powerless. A start of 4 wins and 11 losses has allowed the Clippers to almost book the lottery zone in advance. By the time the trade deadline comes, if the management continues to mess up and is unwilling to overthrow and rebuild, then Harden's request for a trade will almost be a certainty. He is already 36 years old, and he only has the last three or four years of his career to win the championship. There is no need to use up the last drop of fuel in a team that is obviously hopeless.

Some people say that Harden "picked the wrong team", but wasn't he forced into a desperate situation? In 2023, he could have accepted a two-year short-term contract with an annual salary of 40 million from the Rockets and returned home to retire. But he chose to believe in the Clippers management, so he asked the 76ers to trade him to the Clippers. Pelinka's "promise to compete for the championship", salary reduction, running and gunning, and partnering with Kawhi... ended up in this situation. In a way, this is more sad than when the Rockets were defeated by the Warriors - at that time, he at least had Paul, Capela, Ariza, and a group of brothers to carry it together; what about now? He doesn't even have a teammate who can step up and share the pressure of 20 points.

The Magic's young people ran, attacked, and helped defend, but the Clippers' veterans couldn't even keep up with the defense. This game is not only a 28-point score difference, but also a cruel contrast between two eras and two team building ideas. The Magic are on the rise, but the Clippers are sinking. And Harden, the former scoring champion, assist champion, and MVP, can now only dance alone on the ruins. Maybe, it's time to say goodbye. It's not that Harden is no longer good, it's that the Clippers are no longer worthy of Harden. At the age of 36, he deserves to go to a team that is truly competitive and truly respects him to chase the championship ring that was more than ten years late. Instead of continuing to be a tiring cow and horse in this isolated city called Los Angeles.