Aside from who head coach Tyronn Lue would pick the starters to be, the main ingredient fans of the LA Clippers were immediately watching for throughout the preseason opener versus the Guangzhou Loong-Lions is James Harden’s minutes and workload.
However, Lue stood by the words he mentioned multiple times after the postseason ended, against the Denver Nuggets, and in media day/training camp, by utilizing the former MVP for 15 minutes in the first half.
This number could have been higher, as Lue could have traveled to Oceanside, California, with the mentality of doing whatever was needed to prepare Harden physically for the official day one, but he made a promise and was going to keep it.