Report reveals Clippers’ planned starting lineup after James Harden trade

The LA Clippers are ready to become the system.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Sunday that new Clippers guard James Harden will be making his debut for the team during Monday’s game against the New York Knicks. Charania adds that the Clippers are expected to start Harden along with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac moving forward.

That was the expected plan all along for the Clippers, but it will create a unique set of challenges with four players who are used to dominating the ball in the same starting five. But Leonard and George are mid-post (and sometimes three-point) scorers who have long been vocal about their desire for a true point guard who can get them the ball in their preferred spots on the floor. Westbrook has played that role decently enough during his time thus far with the Clippers, and even he has surprisingly tweaked his game some to do more cutting, screening, and work off the ball while the other stars handle possessions. Obviously, the wild card here is the newcomer Harden, who is one of the most prolific isolation players ever. But Harden did lead the league in assists last year and already seems to be transitioning away from volume scoring as he ages.

The Clippers still have some moving parts at play. Terance Mann, who was expected to open the season as a starter, will be back from injury at some point, and Harden himself has created some skepticism with his comments about his fit in LA. But for now, the plan is for the Clippers to have all four of their stars in the starting lineup with the likes of Bones Hyland, Norman Powell, and Mason Plumlee helping create offense for the second unit.