Kawhi Leonard: I’m ‘Still Confident’ Despite Clippers’ 0-3 Record with James Harden

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Despite a 144-126 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night that dropped the Los Angeles Clippers to 0-3 with James Harden on the roster, Kawhi Leonard remains confident in his team’s ability to turn things around soon.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Leonard said he’s “still confident” and explained the Clippers are still in the process of learning to play with each other:

“I still feel like we’re learning each other, the whole players and coaching staff, and you see a little bit of good things in the game tonight, even last game—having some good leads. We’re just not sustaining it, and once we figure it out, we’re going to keep it rolling. So we all got to stay afloat and stay confident and keep pushing one another to keep that mindset on the goal.”

There was always going to be some period of in-season adjustment for the Clippers. Harden was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 1. He hadn’t played in a game and missed several practices with the Sixers leading up to the start of the season.

Harden has shown some signs of rust in his three games with the Clippers. The 10-time All-Star is averaging 14.3 points on 54.2 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists, but he’s also turning the ball over three times per game.

If there is a long-term concern, it was one that was exposed by the Mavericks. The Clippers defense looks like a problem, in part because they have a small lineup with their starting five on the floor together.

Harden and Russell Westbrook aren’t strong defensive players anyway. They also don’t have the benefit of a dominant big man who can protect them if an opponent drives to the basket.

Luka Dončić can make any defense look bad, but this driving layup in the first quarter looks rough for the Clippers because Harden and Leonard just step aside to let him get to the basket.

The Clippers are allowing 118.3 points and letting opponents shoot 46.4 percent from the field over the past three games. They’ve also given up 15.7 offensive rebounds per contest during this stretch.

For context, the New York Knicks lead the NBA with 15.0 offensive rebounds per game.

If the Clippers are going to reach their full potential this season, it’s going to be because their offense with Harden, Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook is impossible to stop. They will have to outscore teams in ways they didn’t have to in the past because they had more size and depth to work with.

Head coach Tyronn Lue has shown in the past he’s capable of adapting on the fly with rosters that undergo significant change. He’s got his work cut out for him with this group, but the upside remains high if they can put it all together.

The Clippers will look to end their four-game losing streak on Sunday at home against the 1-8 Memphis Grizzlies.