The Los Angeles Clippers can win the NBA championship.
As hard as that might be to believe, it’s true.
And for as long of the list of reasons is, it begins with two names: James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
The Clippers brought Harden to L.A. to join Kawhi for this purpose. Health and circumstance prevented them from getting to this peak of play earlier, but they’re here now.
Los Angeles has two of the top-50 players in NBA history playing at the peak of their powers. On Sunday against the Warriors, Harden went for 39 points and 10 assists while Leonard added 33-6-7.
They’ve been playing brilliantly for the last month-plus of the regular season. They’re a big reason the Clippers have won 18 of their last 21.
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Ivica Zubac has helped, of course, a walking double-double who often is getting into the realms of 25-15 kind of stat lines.
Norman Powell can light it up in a hurry. Kris Dunn has somehow become a serviceable NBA two-way guard after a lot of years of struggle.
Ty Lue has the Clippers clicking on all cylinders.
But really, this is about Harden and Leonard. Harden is 35. Leonard is 33.
They’re supposed to be past their primes, and maybe in some ways they are.
But in others, in this era of the aging superstar still finding ways to win, they’ve got a real chance.
Harden creates space on 3s, gets to the foul line and passes with the best of them.
Leonard is still a disruptive defender who can basically score from any spot on the floor offensively.
This Clippers window won’t be open forever, but it’s genuinely open right now. And that’s pretty cool.
It wasn’t a guarantee Harden or Leonard would ever play this well ever again. But they’re thriving, and the Clippers are dangerous. And that’s a great thing for basketball.
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