The Clippers' unlikely one-two punch could salvage their season

With superstar Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely, the Los Angeles Clippers are in a tough spot to start the 2024-25 season. So much so that they are having to rely on 35-year-old former superstar, James Harden, to shoulder the offensive load as they await the return of Leonard. To Harden's credit, he has played well, helping the Clippers maintain respectability on offense even if they don't have a lot of offensive talent.

In fact, with Harden running the show, he has developed a strong chemistry with the starting center, Ivicia Zubac. Zubac is one of the more underrated centers in the NBA and has terrific hands and finishing ability around the basket, making him the ideal roll man for Harden in the pick-and-roll.

Through the team's first three games, Harden is averaging 25 points, 11.7 assists and 8.3 rebounds, while Zubac is averaging 22.7 points and 14 rebounds per game. Those numbers may not hold up over the entire season but do seemingly give the Clippers a reliable source of offense.

The James Harden-Ivicia Zubac pairing could help carry the Los Angeles Clippers.

Without Paul George and Russell Westbrook, who are now with the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, the Clippers currently appear to be better off. That is an unexpected development but not necessarily surprising. George was a very good offensive player but he and Leonard would tend to iso and that prevented others from getting involved.

Additionally, Westbrook didn't mesh well with the Clippers' best players and his lack of shooting didn't help things much either. With them gone and Leonard out for who knows how long, the Clippers have been forced to play with Harden as their first option. That hasn't been a bad thing with their offensive limitations.

They are currently 20th in offensive rating. That is partially due to them hitting just 31.9% of their threes to start the season, but that will definitely improve, and with it, their offense. In the meantime, they have the third-ranked defense, which seems legit given their talent on that end of the floor.

Players such as Leonard (when healthy), Kris Dunn, Kai Jones, Nic Batum, and Derrick Jones Jr. are all good defenders and should help the Clippers maintain a top-10 defense throughout the season. Having a defense to fall back on will help give them a floor, while the Harden-Zubac pairing has proven to be good enough to help carry the Clippers offense as they await Leonard's return.