Leonard's injury news is full of twists and turns. First, Law Murray, the Clippers' reporter, reported that Leonard would not return against the Hawks at home, with the time being further postponed. However, just a few hours after this news came out, Chris Haynes and Shams suddenly reported that Leonard's status had been adjusted to "probable." Interestingly, the latest injury report from the Clippers also showed that Leonard's status had changed from "out" to "questionable."
We don't know if Leonard will play or not, as Rivers said on the "Off Guard" program. He suggested that Leonard should stop creating confusion. Harden is tired; he is working hard now. If he wants to play, he should come back directly instead of making people guess repeatedly. Rivers even mocked, saying that Leonard gives people the impression that he has been injured 1500 times. If, hypothetically, Leonard returns in the next game, it would certainly be a help to Harden.
We can't give a definitive answer now, for fear that Leonard might change his mind again. Let's assume Leonard returns; then Harden's pressure would be significantly reduced. This season, Harden averages 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. When Harden plays, the Clippers have a record of 19 wins and 13 losses. In the two games he missed, the Clippers lost both. The performances of Powell and Zubac without Harden have well demonstrated Harden's value. As Tyronn Lue analyzed today, if Harden doesn't make the All-Star team this season, he would be disappointed.
Tyronn Lue believes that Harden is undoubtedly leading the team forward single-handedly. He is often double-teamed on offense, and Powell experienced this for two games and couldn't handle it, resulting in the lowest shooting percentage of the season. Harden, however, is frequently subjected to such treatment; what can he say? Moreover, Harden not only provides hope for the Clippers in terms of results but also creates significant commercial value. After all, a hero standing alone is popular across the United States. Tyronn Lue requests more votes for Harden from the outside world; he doesn't want those who work hard to go unrewarded.
Tyronn Lue said, "Harden must be an All-Star this season; he needs to become one. Look at what he has done this season without Leonard? He kept the Clippers in the playoff race; he made his teammates better. Almost every opponent used their best defense to double-team him. But Harden could still create shooting opportunities; he could shoot himself or attract double-teams to deliver good passes to his teammates. Whether for himself or his teammates, I believe Harden is like James; they make many people rich, make the people around them better. They also make coaches earn money because James made me earn money."
With Leonard not playing this season, Tyronn Lue's tactic was simply 'give the ball to James,' which proved to be an extremely effective strategy. Defensively, the Clippers have Van Gundy, and offensively, Harden maintains the foundation. Tyronn Lue is actually quite comfortable this year. Although we keep talking about Leonard, we also look forward to his return. Because he is currently the only player who can help Harden compete for the championship; otherwise, staying with the Clippers wouldn't make much sense for Harden, just for the $35 million salary? Where can't he get that?
A healthy Leonard is everything to Harden; this is why he silently works hard. However, there is a limit to how much one can endure. If Leonard continues to rest and gets injured again, Harden should consider whether to stay with the Clippers. Without discussing the future, in the current situation, Leonard's return would certainly assist Harden. At least Harden wouldn't be double-teamed so frequently, and a healthy Leonard is not to be underestimated. Moreover, the Clippers' tactics won't change; they will still revolve around Harden, just replacing Dunn with Leonard, that's all.