5.2 million, the first choice of Clippers! Another Galaxy battleship in the West emerges, Harden s first championship is coming

On July 13, the NBA Summer League is in full swing. Chinese player Yang Hansen scored 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks in his debut, while this year's No. 1 pick Flag scored 31 points today, proving that he is not a sub-production. After a brief silence, the league's free market once again received explosive news! Famous reporter Marc Stein revealed that Bill is waiting for 25% of the advance salary in the 25-26 season. Once the money is paid, Bill will immediately reach a buyout agreement with the Suns. Once Bill buys out and enters the free market, many teams in the league will be very interested in him. Marc Stein reported that in addition to the Clippers, the Lakers, Warriors, Wolves and Bucks are all interested in signing Bills.

However, the two most authoritative media media NBC Sports and The Athletic jointly revealed that Bill's joining once again confirmed the certainty of Bill's joining: First, the Clippers sent Powell away through a trade, not only clearing out a hard salary cap space of $6.7 million, but also freeing up Bill's starting position as a shooting guard, paving the way for the 5.2 million middle-class special signing Bill; secondly, Clutchpoints reporter Brett Siegel said that the Rockets and Warriors are not very interested in Bill, and the Lakers have Reeves and Doncic in the backcourt, and Vincent on the bench, which doesn't give Bill much space. For Bill, the Lakers are not their ideal type; finally, although the Bucks are strong, Bill wants to work hard in big cities more. Overall, the Los Angeles Clippers are Bill's first choice next home.

Bill with a maximum salary may be a cancer of the team, but if the Clippers sign Bill with 5.2 million, it will undoubtedly be an "epic" bargain. Last season in the Suns, Bill averaged 17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal per game, shooting percentage of 49.7% and 38.6% from three-point shooting percentage. Although this efficiency is not top-notch among the league's point guards, it is also considered a first-class level. What is more convincing is that in the past two seasons, the players who averaged 15+ points per game and maintained 50% shooting percentage, 40% three-point shooting percentage, and 80% free throw shooting percentage (50/40/80 Club) have three other players: KD, Kat Jr., and Towns. This data is enough to prove that Bill's efficiency has not declined sharply due to age and injuries, but is only underestimated in the Sun's deformed lineup structure. The Clippers' lineup system can just release all the value of Bill. The core issue of the reason why Bills were controversial during the Suns period was the imbalance in the lineup structure: the Suns lacked stable ball-holding points such as Paul and Harden, which led to the three giants being forced to take turns to "single", and the weak inside line also seriously compressed the offensive space. The Clippers' lineup framework next season is far better than the Suns: Harden, as the top ball-holding core in the league, averaged 10.7 assists per game, can create a large number of opportunities for Bill to cut and catch shots without the ball; Leonard's mid-range attack and Collins' inside impact can distract defensive attention and open up space for Bill's outside shot; Zubac's penalty area protection solves the inside shortcomings in the Suns. The role division of Clippers players is very clear, which also allows Bill to not have to bear the excess ball rights, just focus on the ending without the ball - this is precisely the most efficient way of playing in his career.

The Clippers' starting five tigers also play a complementary role in tactics. Harden is responsible for organization, breakthrough pass, Bill mainly plays out of the ball and shoots + weak side cuts, Leonard is responsible for mid-range attack + defensive core, Collins is good at eating cakes in the inside + rebound protection, Zubac has enough threats in the penalty area protection + pick-and-roll ending. This combination covers the full dimension needs from organization to finish, from outside defense to inside protection. Data shows that when Harden was on the court last season, his teammates' three-point shooting percentage increased by 2.3 percentage points, while Bill's three-point shooting percentage received and shot was as high as 41.2%. Both can have a good chemical reaction. By then, Bill's threat on the offensive end will not be inferior to Powell. The key is that he is cheaper than Powell. If the strongest backcourt in the league was successfully matched, it will become an important killer move on the Clippers' offensive end. On the defensive end, someone helped Bill make up for the leak. Leonard averaged 2.1 steals per game in his career to provide wing blocks and Collins averaging 1.1 blocks per game, providing strong assisted defense mobility. With Zubac's penalty area control, the Clippers' defensive system has made Bill's defense no longer a loophole.

The Clippers' ambitions are more than that. After strengthening the inside Collins, Operations President Frank made it clear that he would further strengthen his "outside projection and organizational offensive capabilities." Bill's joining solves the former, and the latter's answer points to Chris Paul. As a historical point guard, Paul's field control ability (9.5 career assists) and key ball handling can perfectly share Harden's ball holding pressure, especially in the second team, his organization can ensure offensive fluency. If the Clippers can sign Bill and Paul at the same time, the lineup depth will reach the horror level: the starting lineup Harden + Bill + Leonard + Collins + Zubac, the combination of substitutes Paul, Bogdan, Jones Jr., Lopez, and Batum is also extremely powerful. This lineup can not only ensure the main force's rest, but also maintain the offensive and defensive strength - this "two rotations can be fought" configuration is a typical feature of the champion team. If the Clippers reach these two signings, they will completely break the Western Conference pattern. The Thunder are still one of the strongest teams on the books in the West. The Rockets and Nuggets have been very successful in strengthening and have the ability to fight the Thunder. However, the veteran powerhouses Lakers and Warriors are trapped in salary space this summer, and the signings this year are not ideal. In addition, the Suns have entered a reconstruction period, and the West will form a situation of the semi-finals. If the Clippers successfully win Bill and Paul, they will become one of the most champion teams in the West.

For Harden, this may be the best window to compete for the championship in his career. From the "single-nuclear resistance" during the Rockets period, to the "gathering and separation" of the Nets, to the "tactical differences" of the 76ers, Harden has always missed the championship.. Today's Clippers include Leonard who can share the offensive pressure, Bill who can provide stable output, and also potentially a strong organizational aid Paul. This lineup that "does not need Harden to carry alone" is exactly in line with his current competitive state - his average of 21 points and 10.7 assists per game in the regular season last season proves that he is still the top organizer of the league, and the role's burden reduction can allow him to retain more physical strength in the playoffs. Signing Bill by

5.2 million is not only a cost-effective transaction, but also a key step for the Clippers to build the "Galaxy Battleship". When a team gathers top organizers (Harden), key players (Leonard), efficient point guard (Bill), inside champion (Corlins), and may supplement the field control master (Paul), its competitiveness needs no further. A new pattern in the West is taking shape, and Harden's first championship may be on the route of this Clippers.