What if James Harden played defense like this all the time?
James Harden has been maligned for most of his career as a generally poor defender.
At best, he wasn’t trying because of the offensive load he was taking on. At worst? He just didn’t care. Defense never seemed like it was his problem. Unless, of course, he was playing in the post. Then he took it personally. Just ask Daryl Morey.
But on Monday, Harden looked like an All-World defender for once. It was almost like he morphed into his teammate, Kawhi Leonard, to lock up Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs all by himself.
Good morning, folks! Welcome to the Morning Win. Thanks for reading today. We appreciate you.
Quick lil’ storytime for you. I went to the Washington Spirit’s final home game against the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday. Fantastic outing.
One of the things I enjoy the most about going to soccer games is the fandom. It’s electric. The Spirit, specifically, have a “Spirit Section” for fans to sit in and cheer on the team.
There are no actual seats there. The fans stand the entire time, up on their feet with hands in the air, cheering for Washington. They have specific chants they get into throughout the game. And don’t let the Spirit score a goal — you won’t be able to hear yourself think. That’s what a true home field advantage looks like. Whenever I go to a soccer game, I always wonder why this isn’t more of a thing at basketball games.
Steve Ballmer seems to have had the same thought when envisioning The Wall in the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome.
Out of all the bells and whistles included in the $2 billion arena, the enormous fan section is the most impressive thing included. It’s 51 rows of uninterrupted fan seating. No cut cards. It’s honestly impressive.
Reading about it was one thing — seeing it in action was another. The fans were menacing. They were loud. They broke into song. They weren’t exactly the most organized group of fans quite yet, but it’s only Game 1. They didn’t need to be. Their raucousness, alone, was enough to get the job done.
This is such a fantastic idea that every NBA team needs to steal. The environments around the league have gotten way too chill over the years. It just doesn’t feel like arenas get as loud as they used to.
I vividly remember when the Steph Curry era began to peak in Golden State in 2013 at Oracle Arena. Those “Warriorrrrrrrrrs” chants used to give me chills. Those rarely happen now. What you’re more likely to run into these days are teams just pumping artificial noise into the stands to rattle the arena. The vibes, outside of the exciting moments, are generally just too chill these days.
That’s not on the fans, by the way. It’s more about the vibe in the arenas now. Between the increases in ticket prices siloing out some passionate fans, the intrusive advertising you see everywhere in arenas these days and the sponsored gimmicks that take up arena space, there are simply just fewer people coming to games and cheering like their lives depend on it.
Not those fans on The Wall. They’re there to play the sixth man on the court role in earnest. It’s a beautiful sight to see and something that could potentially give the Clippers a competitive advantage. At the very least, it’ll make watching Clippers games much more entertaining for those sitting at home.
This should be something every team in the NBA copies. If the Clippers, of all teams, can bring passionate fans into the arena and get them to cheer like that, then almost every team should be able to do so.
All they need to do is make space for it to happen.
Could Russell Westbrook be the missing piece?
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The back half of Russell Westbrook’s NBA career has been tumultuous, to say the least. The future Hall of Fame point guard has played for five teams in six years and has crashed and burned at every stop.
Now, he’s a Denver Nugget. And it’s easy to expect the results to be similar here. But our Robert Zeglinski writes that Westbrook could be the key to unlocking a new element for Denver’s offense in his latest for FTW.
As the Nuggets see it, the now-eldest player in their regular rotation could catalyze them to glory once more in simultaneous pursuit of his first-ever elusive championship ring. Westbrook could be their new Bruce Brown, the backup, relentlessly competitive guard who brought endless intensity en route to Denver’s 2023 title”
Zeglinski explains how Westbrook has already shifted the Nuggets’ culture in a big way with his feature. He’s playing the mentor role for Jamal Murray and a motivator for the rest of the squad.
It’s an interesting fit that I didn’t think would make much sense initially. After reading this, though, I think this partnership between Westbrook and the Nuggets could be promising.
No, I can’t believe Kennesaw State beat Liberty either.
One team came into the game 5-0 without a loss. The other came into the game 0-6 without a win. Both teams left with a “1” replacing that zero.
What made the moment so delightful, though, was State fans rushing the field a bit too quickly before their win. Cory Woodroof has more here:
“As they darn well should’ve, the Kennesaw State fans in attendance for the historic home victory stormed the field in celebration. However, they were about a second too soon on their first attempt (really at no fault of their own).
There was about a second left on the clock when it looked like the game was over, and Liberty had the ball down three points. If there would be some sort of last-ditch Hail Mary in the team’s arsenal of plays, the Flames would technically have a second to try it.”
What a moment. I know the Alabama-Vandy game will likely be considered the upset of the year, and rightfully so. But this has got to be up there, man. It’s Kennesaw State’s first win against an FBS school and it happened like this.
College football is the best.
Quick hits: Pistons gonna Piston … Trade deadline buyers and sellers … and more
Well, good news, Los Angeles Clippers fans who were at the Intuit Dome: you won a free Chick-fil-A sandwich thanks to The Wall, the new fan section that is quite amazing.
The bad news? Your team lost, and it was partially thanks to Kevin Durant silencing the crowd.
But let’s go back for a sec: in the fourth quarter, KD stepped up to the line in front of The Wall to attempt a couple of free throws … and he missed them both, triggering the free chicken.
While many have focused on the departures of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the Clippers have quietly added key defensive pieces in Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, and Kris Dunn. These additions, while not as flashy, could make the team better …
While many have focused on the departures of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the Clippers have quietly added key defensive pieces in Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, and Kris Dunn. These additions, while not as flashy, could make the team better overall, as they focus on balance and fit rather than pure talent.
With Kawhi Leonard and James Harden anchoring the offense, the Clippers still have two elite scoring options. What’s different now is that they’ll be surrounded by versatile, defense-minded role players who complement their skill sets. The team may be less star-studded than last year, but the pieces could fit better, particularly under head coach Tyronn Lue’s nine-man rotation system, which emphasizes staggering stars and maximizing player roles.
Leonard and Harden will continue to lead the way, but with players like Jones stepping into a starting role and Dunn filling the backup point guard position, the Clippers have a deeper, more defensively sound team. Additionally, the team’s flexibility with Harden’s two-year deal ensures they remain competitive now while maintaining future cap room.
The L.A. Clippers have officially moved arenas and will officially play their home games at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
After years of sharing a space with the Los Angeles Lakers in downtown, the new basketball arena hosted its first basketball game ever on Monday night. It was just a preseason game but the Clippers defeated the Mavericks, 110-96.
Kawhi Leonard really has a way with words. And by that I mean he seems to say exactly what’s on his mind when answering questions — including if he doesn’t have thoughts on what he’s being asked.
Leonard doesn’t really “play the game.” He’s an A-to-B kind of person. He delivers the most direct answers to questions. Nothing more. It’s become somewhat of a brand.
Sometimes that means reporters get nothing from Leonard. Sometimes it means he’s honest about things other players might lie about — like not knowing the league’s load management rules.
On Saturday, it meant admitting none of his new Los Angeles Clippers teammates have stood out during training camp.
Kawhi Leonard says that he has been watching the new guys in camp such as Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr., as well as observing everyone's progression, but adds "nobody stood out to me so far" pic.twitter.com/X6tMzFEqLS
I’m sure Leonard had no ill-intent behind that answer. It’s still early in camp and still time for guys to impress. But that doesn’t make his answer any less funny.
He started off so well by saying the new arrivals — including Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. — were the players he’d been paying attention to. He could have left it at that. Volunteering that “nobody’s stood out to me so far” was so unnecessary and hilarious. But that’s Leonard for you.
Lakers fans shouldn’t fret too much about the competition in the Western Conference.
The narrative around the Los Angeles Lakers these days is that they’ve had a terrible offseason and that they won’t get much accomplished this coming season. While the former is true, the latter may or may not come to pass.
One argument more cynical fans and pundits have made against the Lakers having any real success is that the Western Conference will be much tougher this coming season. In their minds, a bunch of teams will be substantially better, leaving the Lakers to idle in the dust.
But a closer examination puts that claim in some real doubt.
In the 2023-24 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the top seed in the West with a 57-25 record. The Denver Nuggets were second with 57 wins of their own, and the Minnesota Timberwolves were third at 56-26.
After that, there was a considerable drop-off of sorts. The Los Angeles Clippers, who have been the darlings of the national media for most of the past five seasons and have often been overwhelming favorites to reach the NBA Finals, won a mere 51 games. The Dallas Mavericks, who did reach the finals, finished fifth with a 50-32 record.
Then came the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans, both of whom took home 49 victories. The Lakers, of course, had the seventh-best record in the West at 47-35.
Here’s a look at who should be better, who should be worse and who will roughly stay put. As you will see, there is no one for the Lakers to truly fear in the Western Conference right now.
The news does not come as a shock, as the legendary Golden State Warriors head coach has previously told The Athletic he would likely step down as the Americans’ head man after the Paris Games because he always thought the job was like a “baton” to be passed along.
Where it gets interesting is who will likely replace Kerr, especially as the USA program starts looking ahead to Los Angeles in 2028. Stein has said Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue are the top two replacement candidates, a decision that feels like a no-brainer either way.
However, let me make the decision for the Americans rather easy.
It should be Spoelstra. Running away.
With no disrespect to Lue, who I think is comfortably a top-five coach in NBA basketball right now, Spoelstra is clearly the best coach in the men’s game. In fact, it’s not even close. Frankly, I was always a little surprised the master tactician from Miami wasn’t the USA coach for this past Olympics cycle, as I actually think Spoelstra is a lot better than Kerr.
Spoelstra’s qualifications basically speak for themselves.
He’s led the Heat to two NBA titles, with six overall appearances in the NBA Finals since 2011. The Heat have missed the playoffs only three times in his entire tenure, which started in the 2008-2009 season. Anyone you talk to about the game often touts Spoelstra’s innate ability to maximize whatever talent he has on hand. He is, in effect, the purveyor of the infamous “Heat Culture” that has become a meme in NBA circles precisely because you really can never count Miami out as long as Spoelstra is coaching. That’s because he’s a brilliant basketball junkie through and through.
Now imagine the guy known for taking “gritty” and often haphazardly pieced-together teams coaching a squad of all the best American players on the planet. Hoo boy. This isn’t to say the Americans are facing any real threat of losing their gold-medal perch in Los Angeles, but more that Spoelstra’s coaching would probably make them somehow even more of a virtual shoo-in.
Make the right decision, USA basketball. Let Kerr pass that baton to Spoelstra. He’s earned it.
Snoop Dogg reminded everyone that while the Clippers may have their own arena now, Los Angeles is still a Lakers city.
For the last 25 seasons, the Los Angeles Clippers have shared Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center) with the Los Angeles Lakers. But starting this coming season, the Clippers will have their own arena — the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
The Intuit Dome officially opened on Thursday with a concert that featured Bruno Mars and the Hooligans. Bombastic Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has promoted the facility as “the best basketball facility ever built.”
For Clippers games, the arena will have something known as “the wall,” which is a section that is specifically for Clippers fans only. When Lakers superfan and hip hop legend Snoop Dogg was asked about “the wall” during an episode of the “All the Smoke” podcast, he threw shade at the organization like only he can.
“Well, it’s gonna be kinda empty in that [expletive] then,” he said.
When the Lakers and Clippers would play each other over the years, there would seemingly be a larger number of fans of the former than the latter, even when the latter was designated as the home team. “The wall” may be a sincere attempt by the Clippers organization to strengthen its home-court advantage, but the Los Angeles area will continue to be dominated by Lakers fans for years to come.
Flowers originally committed to play at Louisville in April 2023 from the Combine Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. He eventually decommitted from the program to sign with the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League.
The 19-year-old averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds on 36.8% shooting from 3-point range in 18 games this past season with the 36ers. He scored in double figures four times, including a season-high 20 points and three rebounds on Oct. 14.
Flowers went undrafted this year and reportedly agreed to sign a contract with the Clippers on June 27. He wasn’t able to play with the team in the NBA Summer League as he awaited clearance from the NBL and the 36ers in Australia.
The 6-foot-8 forward was a standout at the draft combine in May in Chicago, Illinois. He was tied for the highest max vertical jump among all participants (42 inches) and recorded 12 points, two rebounds and two assists in a scrimmage game.
Flowers will split his time next season between L.A. and the San Diego Clippers in the G League. He is eligible to be active for up to 50 games in the NBA and will earn a flat salary equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service.
