✂️ Grading Harden to the Clips, Wemby's Defensive Impact, Around the Association - 10/31/2023

Welcome to “Hoop’d There It Is” - Your daily 5-6 min dive into all things NBA. This one is going to be more like 10-11 minutes. Special Harden edition. ✂️ 

Thoughts on James Harden to LA

Woj bomb tweet at 11:30 pm PST announced that Harden had been traded to the Clippers with no context regarding other players involved in the deal.

For the next 15 minutes, a trending topic on Twitter was "#FOR WHO?"

That was my question as well. Here's the answer:

The Clippers are also sending a 2028 first-round draft pick. 🏀 

Initially, my thoughts were, "What a garbage return for a guy who averaged 20/11 last season and made TWO game-winners with 40+ points in the second round of the playoffs last year."

But the Sixers' hands were forced. Harden demanded a trade this offseason, openly and vocally becoming an enigma and a spectacle of distractions. He acted like a pouty child who knew he could force the Sixers' hand to trade him to LA. 🙃 

For the 76ers:

At this point, Harden had lost all his on-court value to the Sixers. He had become a distraction, and with the way Maxey has started this season, Harden began to look like a potential hindrance to his development into a superstar. It's time for the Sixers to pass the keys on the perimeter to Maxey and try to make the most of having a player of Embiid's caliber at his absolute peak.

I understand the trade in principle. You have Maxey, you have Embiid - you need to surround them with shooters, defenders, and players who know their roles. Players like Batum, Morris, and Covington can fit into those molds. I also believe the Sixers aren't finished yet. The pick, the expiring contracts, etc. I'd expect them to be moved for an opportunistic trade that might come along closer to the deadline. I'll reserve full judgment for that.

But my main question is: why did the Sixers acquire four power forwards? Couldn't they have included Terrance Mann or even Norman Powell in the deal? These players would have fit the same principle we discussed earlier and provided depth in the backcourt as well.

Grade: D

For the Clippers:

On the other hand, the Clippers traded Batum, who is close to retirement, and Morris/Covington, who were barely breaking into the rotation, for a legitimate all-star point guard. The Clippers have tried Rondo, John Wall, and now Russell Westbrook. All these players have one issue in common: they can't shoot. Harden, in theory, can. He's also a much better playmaker. Pair him with PG and Kawhi, and you could have a formidable trio. Their frontcourt depth isn't the best, but getting PJ back allows them to go small, even though he's also a liability at times on offense.

I question the fit with Westbrook once again. I think Harden is much better at the things Westbrook brings best to the table, making him redundant. We saw what happens when Westbrook's skills become redundant with the other LA team a couple of years ago.

Look, on paper 📜 , it looks good.

But there are many questions to be answered: frontcourt depth, the fit with Westbrook in the backcourt, Kawhi's health, PG's health, and Harden's playoff struggles. That's a lot to bet on, but they have the potential.

Grade: A

Back to the regular scheduled programming...

Who I’m Watching for Tonight (10/31/23)

It's a small slate of games today. My focus shifts to Wemby versus Durant. They won't be directly matched up against each other, but I'll be watching with rapt attention whenever they share a possession here or there.

The Spurs had the worst-ranked defense in the NBA (#30) last season. This season, they have shown improvement, although they still rank near the bottom of the league in defense (it's a very small sample size). However, if you examine Wembanyama's on/off defensive numbers for the Spurs more closely, they reveal a story.

The Spurs are 22 points better on defense when Wemby is on the floor compared to when he's off it. ^This graphic above essentially demonstrates that Wemby serves as the linchpin for their top-10 defense when he's on the court, and they plummet to all-time levels bad without him, much like they did last season. For a rookie, that’s scary.

What Stood Out to Me Last Night (10/30/23)

• Jokic and Luka are record walking triple-doubles. Jokic with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists on 12-16 shooting, while Luka had 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. Luka has been scorching hot, making 18 threes in three games while shooting at a 49% clip to start the season.
  

• Speaking of scorching hot, Steph Curry delivered another big-time performance. He scored 42 points on 15-22 shooting on the road, all this without Klay, against a solid Pelicans team, resulting in a nearly 30-point win. The longevity and conditioning of today's players are truly something to marvel at.
  

• It was a disappointing loss for the TWolves. They were up by 19 at the half but ended up losing to the Hawks, despite Dejounte Murray's impressive 41-point performance.
  

• I criticized Ayton yesterday, so I'll give him his props here. He grabbed 23 boards in a win over the Raptors and is averaging 16 boards per game through four games.
  

• Ben Simmons is playing better lately. He recorded his second straight double-double with high assists, displaying good activity and efficiency. Finding a Draymond Green-like niche in the NBA seems to be the key for him.
  

• I watched part of the YouTube series "Thinking Basketball" that highlighted how OKC runs an inverted pick-and-roll with multiple guard-like ball-handlers (Williams, SGA, Giddey) who can all screen and run the offense for each other. That trio looked impressive today against the Pistons.
  

• AD deserves a shout-out after being criticized for not showing up in the second half of the first game of the season. Over the last three games, he's averaged 28.6 points, 15.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and nearly 3 blocks, with 2 steals. That's truly monstrous.

This time, I’ll skip the stat of the night and my “Random NBA Thought”

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