With the news of Kawhi Leonard being on the sidelines for a few more weeks, the Los Angeles Clippers have been forced to put a heavy load on former NBA MVP James Harden. Following their season-opening 116-113 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns, head coach Ty Lue emphasized they have no choice but to lean on “The Beard’s” scoring and playmaking abilities until Kawhi can rejoin the roster.
Heavy minutes
Against the Suns, the 35-year-old Harden played 40 minutes and scored 29 points, going 10-for-28 from the field, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and a steal. However, his struggles with protecting the ball from the preseason continued into the regular season, as he committed eight turnovers.
Despite that, Lue was pleased with what he saw from his ace guard, except for the number of minutes he played.
Ty Lue on James Harden: “We need him to be special until Kawhi gets back.” @SportingTrib pic.twitter.com/yJpl0y71go
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“Not as many minutes, I think. Overtime really put him in a spot we didn’t want him to be in as far as minutes but we had no choice at that point,” Lue said during the postgame presser…