Like Ben Simmons in his time, James Harden should be received “warmly” this evening by the Philadelphia public. After a standoff with Daryl Morey, the former MVP was transferred to the Clippers at the start of the season, and on Wednesday, he will reunite with his old fans for the first time since the last playoffs. That was 10 months ago, and this reception is the least of the Clippers’ backcourt worries.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care” he replied. “We have bigger issues than whether I care about Philadelphia. Do you see what I mean? »
It's true that the priority at the moment is the bad situation of the Clippers, beaten at home by the Pacers on Monday evening, but also by the Sixers on Saturday! It was at home, and Tyronn Lue pointed out the “soft” side of his players. “We must find our identity” confirms Harden. “Teams score too easily against us, and that makes things difficult for us on our own offense. It's a bit frustrating. It's even frustrating. We're all trying to figure out what's going on. »
Tyronn Lue calls for investment
So effective in December and January to return to the Top 5 of their conference, the Clippers remain on five consecutive defeats at home, and they are far from having assured their place in the Top 6 of the West. The Kings and Suns have only three fewer losses, and the fight should last until the end of the regular season.
For Tyronn Luewe must no longer speak of “sacrifice” but of “investment”. “We always talk about “sacrifice”. But I just told the guys I didn't want to see that word anymore… It's like you media when you talk about “effort.” I remove the term “sacrifice” and I talk about “investment”. Like investing in the team, investing in what we need to do to win games. It's not about you personally. It won't be about what you did. What matters is what the team does. So, instead of talking about sacrifice, we talk about investment. »