INGLEWOOD, California – There is no black cat running around the Los Angeles Clippers franchise, nor is unnecessary fumigation needed to rebrand their sprawling new facility that is sure to be the envy of owners who don’t have the deep pockets of Steve Ballmer.
It wasn’t even funny or appropriate for James Harden to miss the end of two game-tying free throws in overtime in the Intuit Dome’s regular-season debut Wednesday night as the Clippers fell 116-113 to the Phoenix. Suns.
It was simply Game 1 of a new season for the Clippers, the first in a long time in which championship expectations were not on the tip of everyone’s tongue, a season in which the margin for error is very small and a little stressful.
But that’s probably where the Clippers operate best as they straddle two eras, a purgatory that’s the result of both choice and circumstance — a space they can dig themselves out of with a few deft moves.
As Ballmer’s new park opened in Inglewood in the Clippers’ boldest and grandest attempt to maintain a footprint in Los Angeles, yet to emerge from the Lakers’ massive shadow, it seems like last year would have been the best opportunity. to take advantage of such a trip.
After all, Russell Westbrook was on the roster, as was Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard was on pace to play in his most games since he was a Spur.
Four big names, four kids from the Los Angeles area who could carry the city’s flag and connect the neighborhood to the new building. A building that had kids shooting on a court outside, before going through the actual turnstiles, a building that, despite all its amenities, was still confusing to navigate, which is often the case when a new arena opens.
There’s the giant, floor-length Jumbotron, which is a visual marvel, and all the technology intended to make it easier for fans to get back to their seats and get back to the action as quickly as possible.
But only Harden still stands as a star player for the time being, as Westbrook wasn’t ready for a diminished role and George wasn’t ready for a sub-max salary. As for Leonard, it’s anyone’s guess, as he’s out indefinitely following another offseason knee surgery and a confusing stint with USA Basketball that sent him home from being an Olympian last summer.
With Harden, his numbers were not entirely classic, but he was able to add 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in almost 40 minutes, ignoring a two-for-11 start to score 24 in the second half.
He helped lift the Clippers from a slow start, where they were trailing by 14, to a spirited comeback that brought fans to life. Can he return to being the night machine he was in Houston compared to the distributor and occasional boss of a scorer he has been in his last three (!) stops, all since January 2021?
It seems unlikely but it is the best option.
“We compete, we play hard. “We all felt like it was a game we should have won,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “I can’t question how hard we played. How in tune we were. Overall, I think our guys did a good job competing.”
As for Harden’s missed free throw and subsequent mishandling of an inbounds pass as the Clippers were trying to tie the game in overtime with a 3-pointer, Lue said his team was “in perfect position” to win, but he wouldn’t regret it. too much in a singular moment.
The building had its moments, particularly when Ballmer went to a section known as “The Wall,” where fans stand throughout the game, chanting and throwing playful punches at the opposing team, while the conglomerate stands behind the basket nearby. . the visiting side.
“The wall is crazy. That’s our sixth man,” Lue said. “They are involved in the game. I think they made (Kevin Durant) miss two free throws in a row. We will need that. “It was good to see.”
Ballmer jumped to the microphone to welcome fans to the Intuit Dome before the game began, and sat in animated misery when Harden’s free throw went awry, not long after Kevin Durant hit a classic jumper over two Clippers, including Harden. who came to help.
“Yeah, K made some, some tough shots, especially that shot in the fourth quarter when I tried to contest it, and still, I don’t know how he did it,” Harden said, half admiration, half exasperation. .
“The history, you know, Inglewood, Intuit Dome, the fans came and came out and showed themselves,” Harden said. “And we, you know, got the brunt of it. But I think they gave us great energy tonight.”
Lue continued by referring to the effort, which represents a radical change in the philosophy of this organization. It’s not an insult, this is a team that’s struggling now, one that will have to rely on wild cards like Kai Jones to develop, or Derrick Jones Jr. or Terance Mann to take the next step and keep the Clippers afloat.
That element, however, begins with Harden, who is not surrounded by controversy during the preseason or offseason for the first time in a long time. Not that he deserves applause, but it’s worth noting that that’s where he sits, and he’ll be counted on even more to produce given the uncertainty of the roster.
“We need to make it special until Kawhi comes back,” Lue said.
There was no hint of irony in Lue’s words, because no one knows when Leonard will return. People will say that you are doing a great job rehabbing and have not suffered any setbacks, a positive sign, to say the least.
But even with Leonard’s collective gaze and his countless injuries, he has helped the Clippers choose a path in the interim.
For the Clippers, this is what they have to be for now. His ambitious gambit to nab Leonard and Paul George in the summer of 2019 (George was an MVP finalist in Oklahoma City and Leonard dragged the leg and the Toronto Raptors to an improbable championship) paid off.
The ending was ultimately unsatisfying, even with only one conference final to show for it and all those picks and pick swaps owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But it was a risk the Clippers had to take advantage of, because it forged an identity, or at least the expectation of one.
They have been a relevant franchise for over a decade, after years of being the joke in the league. Since Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, they have long been on the national stage, even when the Lakers struggled in the wild. But beyond the cuteness of the Lob City era, it didn’t stick around for long.
But the league needed to see how this iteration treated its players, like Leonard and George, and later, Harden. Having these new facilities shows the organization’s commitment to being independent, even though the Lakers are arguably the biggest brand in sports, but certainly the NBA.
Now, even as Harden stops being a 48-minute supernova and Leonard remains an unknown, the Clippers can be a destination for the next generation of free agents who no longer see the Clippers as the clown franchise, the franchise of Donald Sterling.
Now they have their own house, their own unique wall, their own place in this NBA ecosystem. It seems like the Clippers will always be the Clippers, and that might be the case in the end.
But they have prepared themselves, at least by intention and investment, to continue taking risks even as they remain inactive in the interim.