At this point, it is really surprising that the Los Angeles Clippers are making some winning strides in the season, especially after Paul George and Russell Westbrook departed and Kawhi Leonard being declared out indefinitely due to his injuries. However, it does seem that a new big three is starting to make more noise for the team now than ever.

While it is still early in the season, it is safe to say that the Clippers were not expected to thrive like this. A lot of critics were already saying that their first round pick for the next draft is going to be quite tasty for the Oklahoma City Thunder considering that they have the swap rights to the Clippers’ pick.

However, the new trio of James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Norman Powell are thriving at this point in time, and it cannot be denied that the Clippers are quite the squad that was expected to tank all the way this season – but look out – they are coming for the big contenders so far!

Addition by Subtraction

Nearly a month before the NBA action began, it does seem that Norman Powell had a promising yet prophetic vision of his season with the Clippers after Paul George left the team, saying that this isn’t really much of a big loss than most people would expect, considering how it actually gives everyone a chance to thrive at this point.

“I saw it as addition by subtraction," Normal Powell told reporters Monday morning. "More guys getting opportunities, including myself…”

To be fair, Powell isn’t wrong about his claim. The forward is seeing his best season in his time with the Clippers, averaging 24.7 points and 2.7 rebounds on 51.9% shooting in the first three games of the season. There’s also Ivica Zubac, who’s seeing the best of his career so far, averaging 22.7 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists with 59.2% shooting.

At this point, it is hard to argue that the Clippers are contending, and it does seem that the team is really poised for a big chance to prove its critics wrong. This just says a lot about how the team has vastly improved to open up the season with a new perspective in their games now more than ever.

Harden Back to His Houston Version

Powell and Zubac aren’t the only players who are thriving right now. We are seeing the return of a familiar picture of James Harden in the Los Angeles Clippers. The star guard is currently averaging 25.0 points, 11.7 assists, and 8.3 rebounds – which resembles his big game back in Houston. His stats have also reached bigger heights for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Harden is leading the league in assists, and he is also showing that he can come up with more impressive performances night in and night out. If you are not impressed, he just had a 16-assist outing in their second game of the season where they won against the Denver Nuggets.

This season is starting to be the start of a new dawn for the Los Angeles Clippers, and if they can keep this up, then fans can certainly expect the team to come up with some impressive presence on the big stage now more than ever. Who knows, maybe they can conjure a promising playoff run this time and make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in history.