Will the James Harden experiment in LA end in a successful season for the Clippers

The drama between star guard James Harden and 76ers General Manager Daryl Morey finally came to an abrupt end as the team agreed to trade terms with the Clippers. Philadelphia gained more depth and length in the trade as they acquired Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks, and a pick swap. Harden did not come to LA alone, as PJ Tucker was also sent to the Clippers. Harden will be looking to have similar success in LA with his playmaking skills and ability to score on all levels of the offense.

In the trade, the Clippers lost a lot of wing depth and toughness but got a lot of that toughness back with the pickup of physical veteran Tucker. Russell Westbrook's role will probably be the most impacted by the trade, as he’s currently the team leader in assists, but Harden has led the entire NBA in assists for the past two seasons. On paper, the starting lineup of the Clippers looks very frightening, as they have four future Hall of Famers, but everyone knows there’s only one ball out there on the floor.

This dynamic roster will now fall into the hands of Head Coach Tyron Lue, as he will look to find ways to keep everyone happy and, most importantly, healthy. The biggest challenge will be finding time for this roster to mesh and still remain healthy as the season progresses. Superstar Khawi Leonard has been a question mark in regard to his availability to play as he dealt with injuries and load management, but Coach Lue stated that this season the team will approach the regular season differently than years past.

The new approach by the team and the new rules concerning load management will now force their star players, including Khawi, to have fewer nights off as there will be a midseason tournament. Chemistry will be a key factor for the Los Angeles Clippers as they will work James Harden into the fold. Russell Westbrook will be reunited with not only his former teammate but a friend in James Harden, as they previously played together in Houston. The role of Westbrook will be intriguing, as he seemed to be more happy in his role with the Clippers than he was with the Lakers. The western conference will be highly competitive as teams such as the defending champion Nuggets, loaded Suns, Stephen Curry lead Warriors, and Lebron lead Lakers. Harden is in the last year of his contract, which means this season may be the only opportunity for these players to win a ring together, and if the Clippers were to win it all this year, they'd leave no doubts about who won this trade!