James Harden: Clippers' Ty Lue 'Allows Me to Just Be Free, Be Who I Am' amid Success

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden said that head coach Ty Lue allows him the freedom to be himself on the basketball court.

"Communication is unbelievable," Harden told Seerat Sohi of The Ringer.

"[Lue] allows me to just be free, be who I am. And like I said previously, that's not just scoring, with me reading defenses, seeing the different games, and putting Kawhi and PG in better positions, in the pick-and-roll with Zu or DT getting easy layups. It's everything I thought it would be."

Those comments are in stark contrast to how Harden felt about ex-head coach Doc Rivers during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers traded Harden to the Clips on Nov. 1 after a lengthy holdout and contract dispute between the player and Philadelphia.

His experience with the Clippers appears far better than his time in Philly based on early returns. L.A. has won 17 of 20 games to move to 25-13 overall, just two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for first place in the Western Conference.

On a team with four historically ball-dominant players (Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Harden), the Beard has found his niche in L.A., averaging 17.1 points and 8.5 assists per game.

It's an incredible comeback after the Clips started 0-5 with Harden on the floor, but it's clear all the pieces in place have since meshed well together, to the point where this team looks like a legitimate NBA title contender.

For now, the Clippers have a big game up ahead when they visit the first-place Timberwolves on Sunday.