According to an announcement by NBA-savvy Shams Canary on the 6th (Korea Standard Time), Harden is scheduled to make his Clippers debut against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on the 7th.
After a four-day break, the Clippers seem to have decided they are ready to debut after giving Harden enough time to practice and get used to the system.
Clippers coach Tyrone Lou said, "He's been an All-Star 10 times and he's the MVP. "He's a player who can play dynamic pick-and-roll," Harden said of Harden. Also, "In my view, he made 350 open chances to his teammates last year while implementing pick-and-roll and penetrating the paint zone. And he's top of the league in assists over the last few years, so his passing ability is necessary for our team," he said.
Harden, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubacz are likely to be the Clippers' starting list before New York.
With Terence Mann still absent due to an ankle sprain, coach Lu stressed, "What we need the most is sacrifice," and added, "Four of the players we have from LA have done many things in their careers. So they understood that we were aiming to win. They're willing to do everything, whether it's sacrifice, whether it's shooting or playing minutes," he noted.
The Clippers' new starting lineup, which coach Lu is so confident, can be found in the away game at Madison Square Garden on the morning of the 7th.