When Mann was announced as the starter, I wrote that it was a possible sign that Harden could fit the starting lineup as a smaller-sized unit with Westbrook, George, Leonard and Ivica Zubac in the event a trade went down.
There are still questions about how the Clippers will proceed. Some are assuming Westbrook will not start, but the depth chart above shows why that would not make any sense outside of a Lakers ecosystem; bringing Mann off the bench balances the depth chart, and Westbrook likely staggers with the bench more anyway with players such as Norman Powell and Mann. The dynamic between Westbrook and Harden will need an update, as the two parted ways from Houston in 2020 after a one-season reunion. But there is no conflict between Harden and Westbrook, a league source told The Athletic, and the two have always maintained a line of communication.
Russ needs to stay in the starting lineup for pace alone. I can’t imagine how slow we would look if Harden starts and Russ comes off the bench.
Rockets harden stayed top 5 in pace for years.
I’m a bit worried about Pace also. Kawhi and Harden play pretty slow and the ball sticks.
You saw the last shot by Kawhi… Westbrook is useful to just push pace and decide who gets the ball first… Kawhi PG or Harden.
I’m hoping we don’t get Iso step-back Harden and more of attack and flop Hardeb