The ninth straight win added last morning over the Dallas Mavericks allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to rise to fourth place in the Western Conference.

After a somewhat gray first period, James Harden has adapted to coach Tyronn Lue’s offensive system and the Clippers are in complete control: They are the best offense in the NBA And the present Second-best net rating in this winning stretch.

Harden’s arrival unloads a large dose of responsibility onto the team’s other two stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. “That’s the good thing about having James [Harden]» Joint Trainer Lou. “For them, that means getting easier shots and open 3-pointers. Before he had to search for all his shots. “They had to create all the chances.”

The health of Leonard and George also plays a role in the Clippers’ rise in the standings. Both of them have already feuded more “Back to back”Four this season compared to the previous four seasons combined with three.

“That wasn’t the case at all,” Paul George said of the idea that he and Leonard missed games last year simply because they were resting. “We suffered injuries that we tried to minimize. No one knows what we are going through or what condition our bodies are in. But they painted everything as if we didn’t play because we didn’t want to.

(Cover photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)