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James Harden takes veiled jab at Russell Westbrook, Paul George amid Clippers’ success

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Jackson Stone | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 3:57 PM ET

The Los Angeles Clippers are peaking at the right time, winners of 11 out of their last 13 games after Saturday evening’s home victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers have gotten a surge in production from Kawhi Leonard as of late, and James Harden has continued to be a steady guiding force for the team on the offensive end of the floor.

After the game on Saturday night, Harden got one hundred percent real on how this year’s team differs from the one last year, which lost in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks.

“It’s just different. It’s just different. Different team… We got guys that know their role and know what they’re supposed to be doing consistently on a night to night basis. From the beginning of the season. It’s just a different team,” said Harden, per Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated on X.

Harden then was asked to specify what exactly made the team different.

“Personnel. You guys know. You know the players we had last year.”

The most notable departures for the Clippers this past offseason were Paul George (now with the Philadelphia 76ers) and Russell Westbrook (now with the Denver Nuggets), each of whom struggled in the team’s playoff loss to Dallas.

It would certainly appear possible that Harden was taking a subtle jab at the duo with these comments.

A dangerous Clippers squad

While the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets have understandably hogged most of the headlines in the Western Conference as the playoffs approach, the Clippers have quietly been playing some of the best basketball of anyone in the league over the last month, giving themselves a legitimate chance to avoid the play-in game and perhaps even host a first round series if things break their way.

Of course, Harden has some playoff demons of his own to overcome, which once again manifested during the loss to Dallas in 2024, and Kawhi Leonard’s health is always a major wild card around this team of year.

However, if things go according to plan, this Clippers squad could be dangerous in the postseason.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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