Paul George issues guarantee after Clippers flop in James Harden's debut

As he typically does, Harden still managed to stuff the stat sheet, accounting for 17 points and six assists over 31 minutes. However, the meshing of ball-dominant stars remains a work in progress for the Clippers. Los Angeles scored fewer than 100 points for the first time this season and finished the contest with more turnovers (22) than assists (21).  

Despite the rocky start to the Harden era, Clippers forward Paul George is adamant the team will make it work with the 10-time All-Star guard.

“When it comes down to the talent aspect, this is one of the [most] talented teams I've played for. We'll figure it out," George vowed after the loss, via ESPN. "First game. A lot of moving pieces, but it was fun. Playing on the court with those guys was fun and a lot of optimism going forward.”

George, who entered the night averaging 28.8 PPG, saw his production plummet with Harden by his side, scoring only 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting. 

Russell Westbrook, whom Lue anointed the team's primary ball-handler following the Harden trade, was efficient on the night, connecting on 61.5% of his field-goal attempts. Nonetheless, moving Westbrook off the ball in favor of Harden will likely prove ideal for the long-term success of George and the Clippers as a whole. 

Los Angeles scored 23 points on the 19 pick-and-rolls Harden handled Monday night, per Synergy Sports. Since 2021-22, Harden leads the NBA with 10.4 APG. As for Westbrook, he's failed to average more than 7.4 APG in any season since 2021-22. At this point in their careers, Harden has proved to be the better decision-maker of the two and is a far more lethal midrange player off the dribble, knocking down 80.0% of his two-point attempts against the Knicks.