Clippers' Ty Lue on James Harden Trade: 'Sacrifice Is Going to Be the Biggest Thing'
The Los Angeles Clippers all have one word in mind when describing what it will take for their new-look roster to work with James Harden in the fold: sacrifice.
Clippers coach Ty Lue and forward Kawhi Leonard both highlighted the importance of ceding individual goals in favor of the collective following Wednesday night's loss to the Lakers.
"Sacrifice is going to be the biggest thing," Lue told reporters. "Four guys from LA, and four guys that have done a lot in their careers. So they understand, and they've talked about just winning a championship. That's all we're focused on. It's going to take a lot of sacrifice, whether it's shots, whether it's minutes. They're willing to do that."
Leonard noted there will be times he, Harden, Russell Westbrook and Paul George will need to lean on what made them superstars in the first place while also recognizing when to take a step back.
"I think we still have to come in kind of like with a selfish mindset," Leonard added. "Meaning we can't look over our shoulder and say this guy is going to win the game, or this guy's going to win the game for us. We still have to step on that floor like we are out there by ourselves, and from there, it is going to be sacrifice. It's only one basketball, and we just got to figure it out from there."
The Clippers acquired Harden and PJ Tucker from the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, ending a monthslong stalemate between the All-Star guard and his former team. Harden joined his new teammates ahead of Wednesday's game against the Lakers but did not play.
Tucker went scoreless in 21 minutes off the bench.
While Harden should fit seamlessly with Leonard and George, his fit with Westbrook will be interesting to watch. This marks the third time the two future Hall of Fame guards have been teammates, having previously teamed early in their careers with the Oklahoma City Thunder and then a one-year stint with the Houston Rockets in 2019-20.
The Houston stint was instructive of what could come in Los Angeles, as neither Westbrook nor Harden ever got completely comfortable playing off the ball. Houston's offense essentially devolved into Harden and Westbrook taking turns playing iso ball while the other hung out disinterested on the perimeter.
At this point in their respective careers, Harden is the superior player and he should bump Westbrook out of the starting lineup. But Westbrook has played quality, efficient basketball since his arrival with the Clippers midway through last season, so it will be an interesting dynamic to see play out.
