James Harden voices belief in Clippers' playoff push; 'blessed' to be in L.A. - ESPN
*By Ramona Shelburne, ESPN Senior Writer
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Just a month ago, the LA Clippers were near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, with little to feel optimistic about. But after a string of four consecutive wins, including a 119-105 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, the team is now in a strong position. Harden, who recently passed Shaquille O'Neal for ninth on the NBA's all-time scoring list, told ESPN he thinks the Clippers could make a remarkable comeback and reach the playoffs.
"Some teams, when it gets that bad, they just let the wheels fall off," Harden said. "I had interviews where people were asking me, 'How do you find confidence?' and I'm like, 'The confidence is there. The losses are frustrating, but the confidence is still there.'"
The Clippers are currently in 10th place, just half a game behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the final spot in the play-in tournament. This turnaround is all the more impressive considering their poor start to the season, when they were 6-21 and mired in a series of controversies. But Harden and his teammates have found a way to turn things around, with Harden crediting "little tweaks" and a stronger defensive performance for their success.
"I think finding little tweaks and being a lot better defensively is what really helped us out," Harden said. "Now we got to take one game at a time, just like when we were in the hole. We can come all the way back, but we have to chip away, chip away and really build some momentum going into the All-Star break."
Harden and Kawhi Leonard are both strong candidates for the All-Star weekend, which will take place at the Intuit Dome on February 13-15. Leonard is averaging 32.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.6 steals during this 11-2 run, while Harden is averaging 24.8 points and 7.8 assists. Despite the team's success, Harden seems to be enjoying his time in Los Angeles, and is grateful for the opportunity to play in front of his family and friends.
"It's hard to explain," Harden said. "Being at home, that's like the opportunity of a lifetime for me. Just be able to hoop in front of my family, friends, people I grew up with, people that raised me. It's a different feeling. So as much as people talk all the time. That's social media, that's what people's jobs are to talk. For me, it's just like I'm actually living in it so I can't get caught up in what people talk about, how people feel, whatever the case."
"I'm from L.A. and I'm blessed to be here."
But here's where it gets controversial... While Harden's confidence in the Clippers is inspiring, some may question whether the team has what it takes to make a deep playoff run. What do you think? Do you agree with Harden's optimism, or do you think the Clippers are still a work in progress? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
