2024 NBA Season

[Sanitough]

[....]
Obviously, with James Harden also being a superstar, this should result in an improvement in the team's performance. If they continue to struggle after acquiring James Harden, I believe the problem runs deeper, and it might be time for the Clippers to consider a coaching change.

PG - Westbrook
SG - Harden
SF - Leonard
PF - George

Looks good on paper doesn't it? I wonder who is going to take the ball most of the time. The coach will have to force someone to adjust and limit his role so these players won't clash. That player will probably end up unhappy and that will also affect the team. I think the three are already good at sharing the ball but adding Harden into the mix will disrupt that.

If one or two of them suffers serious or season ending injuries again then this trade could be worth it.

The guy with the most accurate shooting and a high percentage of scoring when holding the ball is crucial. Since Westbrook is the point guard, he should ideally have the ball, but his shooting percentage has significantly dropped. So, his primary role might be to distribute the ball. Harden and PG can shoot from the outside, and they should let Leonard penetrate inside with his accurate mid-range jump shots.

With the current lineup, they will be very unpredictable since all four are offensive threats. The key is to build chemistry, and I'm confident these players understand how to work together as they share the common goal of winning a championship. While a Big 3 is often seen as the foundation of a superteam, having this Big 4 now likely gives them an even better chance of winning a championship.

[Jating]

[....]
Obviously, with James Harden also being a superstar, this should result in an improvement in the team's performance. If they continue to struggle after acquiring James Harden, I believe the problem runs deeper, and it might be time for the Clippers to consider a coaching change.

PG - Westbrook
SG - Harden
SF - Leonard
PF - George

Looks good on paper doesn't it? I wonder who is going to take the ball most of the time. The coach will have to force someone to adjust and limit his role so these players won't clash. That player will probably end up unhappy and that will also affect the team. I think the three are already good at sharing the ball but adding Harden into the mix will disrupt that.

If one or two of them suffers serious or season ending injuries again then this trade could be worth it.

It could be that either Westbrook or Harden will carry the ball if they play both at the same time. They play both with they are in Houston so there will be no adjustments as well. But we all know this two is a ball hogger so the best thing is not to let them be in the same floor.

Hopefully I can also with that Leonard will remain healthy. He already commented about the new rule on sitting out players to rest. And he said that players should only sit when they are injured. So he is against load management, but if we will remember, he is one of the first or at least in Clippers who uses this rest as a precautionary measures to avoid getting injured. And that's why I said that at least being healthy this season, we can see if he is going to continue and play hard every night to be able to get that win or take a rest and that will contradict what he says.

[inthelongrun]

It looks like the Philadelphia 76ers have finally caved to Harden’s pressure and will be shipping him to the Clippers. The Clippers are said to be doing everything in their power to make it happen. After all the offseason drama it seems like Harden is going to end up getting what he wants, while Dame didn’t get the trade he wanted, but might get himself a ring.

I'm getting a bit skeptical about what I read online these days. Just two days ago, NBC News posted an article saying the Clippers aren't really focused on Harden and aren't making a good enough offer for the trade.

Do you have any up-to-date news to share? It seems like you were pretty confident that Harden was headed to the Clippers.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/clippers-not-focused-on-harden-also-not-offering-enough-to-get-trade-done

Harden already joined the training camp of the 76ers so he is expected to play.  I don't know what's in the head of the Clippers' management right now. It has 2 unhealthy star players. They're wasting many seasons expecting Kawhi to be fully healthy for a whole season or playoffs period but it never happened. So it would be hard to imagine the management of the Clippers to make a full swing taking Harden while giving up a lot of future draft picks. Kawhi and even PG13 if being traded aren't that good in the market either so the Clippers may not want to sacrifice their future first-round picks.

But in order for Harden and the 76ers to have peace before the start of this season, it would be nice to do a trade with or without the Clippers.

[dezoel]

The rumors about Clippers and Harden is just rumors at this point. There isn't any official statement regarding the situation from anyone, so we can't really get any valid news, nothing we can provide proof for. So we need to wait until something concrete happens, either the trade may happen, or maybe it is all just a rumor and not real.

I think it should be important to note that we are not going to end up with anything that would benefit anyone neither, I just think that Harden to Clippers would be hard and Clippers may want him for the time being but the longer it takes the more they may reconsider their options. They already have a decent team, and getting someone that constantly had issues so far doesn't feel all that well.

[Yaunfitda]

The rumors about Clippers and Harden is just rumors at this point. There isn't any official statement regarding the situation from anyone, so we can't really get any valid news, nothing we can provide proof for. So we need to wait until something concrete happens, either the trade may happen, or maybe it is all just a rumor and not real.

True, but if you are a fan of basketball then you have some speculations in your mind as to what might happen for James Harden in the future. He shows interest again with the 76ers at the start of the training camp, and so we can move forward from there. Whether he will stay with the 76ers for this season and forget what he has said and remain professional. Or continue to create drama for him and the 76ers which is again on the familiar territory just like what Ben Simmons case years ago.

I think it should be important to note that we are not going to end up with anything that would benefit anyone neither, I just think that Harden to Clippers would be hard and Clippers may want him for the time being but the longer it takes the more they may reconsider their options. They already have a decent team, and getting someone that constantly had issues so far doesn't feel all that well.

See, you have your own speculation already. Definitely it should be mutual though, Clippers getting Harden but they will have to exchange some of their young players and then added future picks to lure the 76ers to give a go signal for a trade. Or Clippers standing their ground, not going to give that much to 76ers so the 76ers will have to accept it or not.

[Baofeng]

Regarding Joel intentions of joining the US team, here is what Rudy Gobert has to say,

"I am happy for him. I guess we'll see him in Paris. I am happy for him, as long as he does what makes him happy and he follows his heart. That's what matters."

https://twitter.com/FadeawayWorld/status/1710037148408111522

And then the captain of the French Basketball team, Nic Batum,

“I was more than happy to welcome him to the team, and he took the best decision for him,” Batum said. “I would have taken the same one.”

https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1710068649514369079

So I guess everyone in the French team is not affected by Joel joining the US instead of them. Nevertheless, for sure this is going to be a very competitive Olympics in Paris as far as for the US and the rest of the world.

[Distinctin]

@Baofeng, I didn't know that. I thought Embiid was all-American.

I did some quick research, and it seems like he has a few nationalities to choose from:

-American
-French
-Cameroonian

Well, he's got the freedom to choose which country he wants to play for, but I get why some folks might be disappointed. I mean, the USA already has an abundance of talent, and Embiid could have been a real asset if he chose to play for France.

[danherbias07]

@Baofeng, I didn't know that. I thought Embiid was all-American.

I did some quick research, and it seems like he has a few nationalities to choose from:

-American
-French
-Cameroonian

Well, he's got the freedom to choose which country he wants to play for, but I get why some folks might be disappointed. I mean, the USA already has an abundance of talent, and Embiid could have been a real asset if he chose to play for France.

I learned Embiid was from Cameroon when Paskal Siakam kicked him and I think that's one of the popular technical fouls that was called in the NBA. Embiid didn't even try to fight him and the commentator said they are both from Cameroon, that is why.
But this is the first time I discovered that he is also French.

Anyway, here is CBS projection of Team USA roster that will be going to Paris Olympics.
Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant
Devin Booker
Bradley Beal
LeBron James
Anthony Davis
Kawhi Leonard
Paul George
Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown
Bam Adebayo
Draymond Green
and more...
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2024-paris-olympics-projecting-team-usas-12-man-roster-with-joel-embiid-joining-lebron-james-stephen-curry/
Those are the players who committed they will play if asked or it's open. This is going to be a superstar roster that will be difficult to defeat. I don't actually like it because I want the Olympics to be more of a competitive event but I think this will boost other countries will to defeat them. We'll see.

[Hypnosis00]

@Baofeng, I didn't know that. I thought Embiid was all-American.

I did some quick research, and it seems like he has a few nationalities to choose from:

-American
-French
-Cameroonian

Well, he's got the freedom to choose which country he wants to play for, but I get why some folks might be disappointed. I mean, the USA already has an abundance of talent, and Embiid could have been a real asset if he chose to play for France.

I learned Embiid was from Cameroon when Paskal Siakam kicked him and I think that's one of the popular technical fouls that was called in the NBA. Embiid didn't even try to fight him and the commentator said they are both from Cameroon, that is why.
But this is the first time I discovered that he is also French.

Anyway, here is CBS projection of Team USA roster that will be going to Paris Olympics.
Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant
Devin Booker
Bradley Beal
LeBron James
Anthony Davis
Kawhi Leonard
Paul George
Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown
Bam Adebayo
Draymond Green
and more...
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2024-paris-olympics-projecting-team-usas-12-man-roster-with-joel-embiid-joining-lebron-james-stephen-curry/
Those are the players who committed they will play if asked or it's open. This is going to be a superstar roster that will be difficult to defeat. I don't actually like it because I want the Olympics to be more of a competitive event but I think this will boost other countries will to defeat them. We'll see.

With this lineup, it feels like the gold is pretty much assured. They can't afford to make the same mistake of underestimating other countries, especially after not even qualifying for the gold medal round in the FIBA World Cup. No more excuses; they need to correct that mistake and win at the Olympics.

Now, as for the betting odds, I'm also curious. I think they should be around 1.10 or even lower because this lineup seems unbeatable.

[Viscore]

Now, as for the betting odds, I'm also curious. I think they should be around 1.10 or even lower because this lineup seems unbeatable.

It's been out for a while now, and with this lineup, the USA is the clear favorite to win, like a heavy favorite. But it's not as low as 1.10; the projected odds are -250, which is equivalent to 1.4 in decimal odds. If you want to check out the odds for the other teams, you can go ahead and visit the link below.

https://www.covers.com/basketball/olympic-mens-basketball-odds

Country   Odds
USA USA   -250
Serbia Serbia   +400
Canada Canada   +500
France France   +700
Germany Germany   +800
Australia Australia   +1,200
Spain Spain   +1,400
Slovenia Slovenia   +2,000

[xzone]

The rumors about Clippers and Harden is just rumors at this point. There isn't any official statement regarding the situation from anyone, so we can't really get any valid news, nothing we can provide proof for. So we need to wait until something concrete happens, either the trade may happen, or maybe it is all just a rumor and not real.

I think it should be important to note that we are not going to end up with anything that would benefit anyone neither, I just think that Harden to Clippers would be hard and Clippers may want him for the time being but the longer it takes the more they may reconsider their options. They already have a decent team, and getting someone that constantly had issues so far doesn't feel all that well.

For Harden's trade to happen, a good offer must come from the Clippers. If the Clippers do not give the draft choices, this trade will not happen. While everyone knows the problems Philadelphia is having with Harden, it does not seem easy for this trade to happen.
We don't know how much the Clippers want Harden. It may not be a logical transfer for them

[carlisle1]

Now, as for the betting odds, I'm also curious. I think they should be around 1.10 or even lower because this lineup seems unbeatable.

It's been out for a while now, and with this lineup, the USA is the clear favorite to win, like a heavy favorite. But it's not as low as 1.10; the projected odds are -250, which is equivalent to 1.4 in decimal odds. If you want to check out the odds for the other teams, you can go ahead and visit the link below.

https://www.covers.com/basketball/olympic-mens-basketball-odds

Country   Odds
USA USA   -250
Serbia Serbia   +400
Canada Canada   +500
France France   +700
Germany Germany   +800
Australia Australia   +1,200
Spain Spain   +1,400
Slovenia Slovenia   +2,000

With that possible lineup, this odd might be a good catch for those early bettors, though we don't know if this will be finalized
or there are still negotiations and changes in terms of availability of those stars that mentioned.

Though for sure, there are already gamblers who took this one and already place their future bet for this possible Olympic gold medalist.

Let's wait and see if what will be the final lineup, if all those mentioned names will be available and if they will commit to play for team U.S

[Oasisman]

The rumors about Clippers and Harden is just rumors at this point. There isn't any official statement regarding the situation from anyone, so we can't really get any valid news, nothing we can provide proof for. So we need to wait until something concrete happens, either the trade may happen, or maybe it is all just a rumor and not real.

There's a reason why it became a rumor, because someone from the inside just tip the people from the media, thus it became a rumor. There is a possibility for it to happen since they are on the process of making the deal. There are no "official" about rumors, so I don't get what you mean here. We have the guys like Adrian Wojnarowski who can give us some reliable rumors surrounding the NBA.
As far as the trade rumors are concerned, as I've said, I believe the Sixers is in a lot of pressure right now trying dispose of Harden. The Clippers can easily decline what they demand. Most probably Harden is gonna play with the Sixers this season, but with a bad relationship with the management.

[btc_angela]

@Baofeng, I didn't know that. I thought Embiid was all-American.

I did some quick research, and it seems like he has a few nationalities to choose from:

-American
-French
-Cameroonian

Well, he's got the freedom to choose which country he wants to play for, but I get why some folks might be disappointed. I mean, the USA already has an abundance of talent, and Embiid could have been a real asset if he chose to play for France.

Yes, if I'm not mistaken, he hold dual citizenship as well. That's why there is a big noise of him wanting to play with US team since he had Cameroonian blood (both his parents are are from Cameroon and he was born there). Then moved to the US to pursue his basketball.

His reasoning though is very simple, his son is American that's why he wanted to play with the US team.

But it's up to US whether they will embrace Joel as a American or not, so we will have to wait and see. And I think there's nothing wrong with his request though.

[Baofeng]

@Baofeng, I didn't know that. I thought Embiid was all-American.

I did some quick research, and it seems like he has a few nationalities to choose from:

-American
-French
-Cameroonian

Well, he's got the freedom to choose which country he wants to play for, but I get why some folks might be disappointed. I mean, the USA already has an abundance of talent, and Embiid could have been a real asset if he chose to play for France.

Yes, mate, he holds dual citizenship, one US and one French. And it was said that Joel was really fluent in French. But he mostly stayed in the States for the rest of his life and settled there and had a son who has US citizenship.

But just imagine though, I mean Joel + Wemby + Gobert, Lol, playing for the French national team in the Olympics. All of them are well over 7 feet tall.



https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1710067831339884793

[dwyane36]

We don't know how much the Clippers want Harden. It may not be a logical transfer for them

Rumors of a possible trade of Harden to the Clippers initially sounded illogical as the Clippers already have players like Kawhi, Paul, and Westbrook. So, I don't think Harden is really the player they need. However, as we can see, there are still rumors that the Clippers are interested in him, which means that the Clippers' management might believe Harden could be useful to them in some way.

[AHOYBRAUSE]

We don't know how much the Clippers want Harden. It may not be a logical transfer for them

Rumors of a possible trade of Harden to the Clippers initially sounded illogical as the Clippers already have players like Kawhi, Paul, and Westbrook. So, I don't think Harden is really the player they need. However, as we can see, there are still rumors that the Clippers are interested in him, which means that the Clippers' management might believe Harden could be useful to them in some way.

I don't understand how ANY team wants Harden.
Sure he can make some points and assists but the downside is much higher:

- doesn't want to play defense
- NO loyalty at all, likely to request a trade or wants the coach fired after 6 months
- lack of professionalism, party is more important than games
- locker room problems, openly criticizing other members of the team
- just not worth 30 million a year, neither the money or the cap space
- getting old

Also which team with a good PG wants/needs an aging Harden??

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

We don't know how much the Clippers want Harden. It may not be a logical transfer for them

Rumors of a possible trade of Harden to the Clippers initially sounded illogical as the Clippers already have players like Kawhi, Paul, and Westbrook. So, I don't think Harden is really the player they need. However, as we can see, there are still rumors that the Clippers are interested in him, which means that the Clippers' management might believe Harden could be useful to them in some way.

I don't understand how ANY team wants Harden.
Sure he can make some points and assists but the downside is much higher:

- doesn't want to play defense
- NO loyalty at all, likely to request a trade or wants the coach fired after 6 months
- lack of professionalism, party is more important than games
- locker room problems, openly criticizing other members of the team
- just not worth 30 million a year, neither the money or the cap space
- getting old

Also which team with a good PG wants/needs an aging Harden??

You can also make that argument for Russell Westbrook, there are huge downside on him but still the Lakers did pick him up and most likely regret their decision because at that time they acquire him, they thought that he can blend well with James and help the Lakers. And finally he was shift to the Clippers and so there are still team that are willing to take him. So the same case for Harden as well, many downside, dramatic, doesn't want to play defense, but I think there could be more teams still wanting to get his service even if he is aging or maybe lost a step or two with the 76ers. So the saga will continue this season until he found a new team and then the cycle of him and Westbrook might be the same.

[inthelongrun]

Regarding Joel intentions of joining the US team, here is what Rudy Gobert has to say,

"I am happy for him. I guess we'll see him in Paris. I am happy for him, as long as he does what makes him happy and he follows his heart. That's what matters."

https://twitter.com/FadeawayWorld/status/1710037148408111522

And then the captain of the French Basketball team, Nic Batum,

“I was more than happy to welcome him to the team, and he took the best decision for him,” Batum said. “I would have taken the same one.”

https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1710068649514369079

So I guess everyone in the French team is not affected by Joel joining the US instead of them. Nevertheless, for sure this is going to be a very competitive Olympics in Paris as far as for the US and the rest of the world.

Embiid's mentality is probably to have the best way to secure the gold. That is probably the best chance he gets a championship. But hopefully, he won't cry if the US will lose. Since I was a kid and started watching Olympics basketball, I cannot remember Team USA failing to bag the championships, they always dominate. But the Paris Olympics basketball is indeed going to be very competitive as the biggest stars will be joining their respective countries. Jokic, Giannis, and Wemby are also expected to play.

Although there are only two countries where basketball is the #1 sport, it continues to grow and there are more superstars that come outside the US.

[LogitechMouse]

We don't know how much the Clippers want Harden. It may not be a logical transfer for them

Rumors of a possible trade of Harden to the Clippers initially sounded illogical as the Clippers already have players like Kawhi, Paul, and Westbrook. So, I don't think Harden is really the player they need. However, as we can see, there are still rumors that the Clippers are interested in him, which means that the Clippers' management might believe Harden could be useful to them in some way.

Harden might be a great passer, but Westbrook can be a good Point Guard as well, if given the chance.

The Clippers are in need of a Point Guard. Kawhi and PG can't be one. Westbrook can be their starting PG since he has been a good Point Guard through out his career. His career only got ruined when he went to the Lakers, but we can't remove the fact that he can make passes Harden can do.

Like you, I don't also think that the Clippers will try, and pursue Harden knowing that they have Russ as their PG already. I'll stick to what I said that no team want's to pursue him, or at least gamble, and get him in exchange for multiple draft picks. Harden will most probably stay with the Sixers for at least the first half of the season while for the Clippers, I would like to see Westbrook redeem himself after what happened to him in the last seasons. I still believe that he can still make those flashy passes like what he's doing back then.