The Los Angeles Clippers are rolling, and here are 4 reasons why

Following a slow start to thisseason, the Los Angeles Clippers have had an incredibleturnaround.

Immediately after acquiring starguard James Harden, the Clippers lost seven of 10 games, leading tosome questions about Harden's fit and whether the team could rightthe ship.

However, since Harden’s infamous“give us 10 games and we’ll figure it out” statement, the Clippershave been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They have the bestrecord in the NBA since Dec. 1, and they have won 15 of their last18 games and 20 of their last 26.

Los Angeles has the fourth-bestrecord in the Western Conference (23-13), while boasting the NBA'sseventh-best offense (scoring 116 points per 100 possessions) andninth-best defense (allowing 110.4 points per 100possessions).

The Clippers have been rollingas of late, and here are several reasons for their recentsuccess.

Kawhi Leonard is healthy again and having an MVP-caliberseason

The Clippers’ undisputed bestplayer is currently having his healthiest season in years, playing31-of-35 possible games. Leonard is currently shooting acareer-best 52% from the field and is the biggest reason for LosAngeles' surge. The Clippers have registered 12-straight wins withLeonard in the lineup, and he ranks 10th in the league in scoringover that stretch. Leonard's numbers – 28.1 points, 6.4 reboundsand 3.9 assists – are impressive, and he recentlybecame the first player in NBAhistory to shoot 60% from the field, 50% from three-point range and90% from the free-throw line over a 13-game span – an astoundingdemonstration of his dominance and efficiency thisseason.

Paul George is playing as a second ‘Batman’ rather thanbeing a ‘Robin’

Rather than being Robin toLeonard’s Batman, Paul George has proven he’s more than just asecond fiddle this season. The 6-foot-9 forward has a solidAll-Star case so far, averaging 23.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8assists, 3.4 threes and 1.6 steals, while shooting 45.8% from thefield, 40.8% from three-point range and 92.4% from the free-throwline. George has taken it upon himself to carry more of theoffensive load thus far even when Leonard is playing, scoring atleast 20 points in nine-straight outings. This aggressive approachhas done wonders for the Clippers.

James Harden is playing efficiently and makingsacrifices

With the Clippers, James Hardenisn't in a primary-scorer role. Although his resume speaks foritself, the 10-time All-Star and three-time scoring champ hasdeferred the scoring duties to Leonard and George. Instead,Harden’s main job is to distribute the ball and keep the offenserunning, which makes scoring a secondary goal at this stage of hiscareer. Also, he's constantly finding center Ivica Zubac for lobopportunities and even Norman Powell off catch-and-shootactions.

This has led to one of Harden'smost efficient seasons, as he's shooting a career-best 42% fromthree and a True Shooting percentage of 65%. Harden has been at hisbest when he's playing alongside the Clippers’ All-Star forwards,as the three-man lineup of Harden, Leonard and George has a netefficiency rating ofplus-17.8 and has outscored opponents by 143 points.

Furthermore, the trio ranksfirst among the NBA's three-man lineups in several differentcategories including netrating (25.6), offensive rating (131.7), defensive rating (106),three-point percentage (43%), True Shooting percentage (65%) andturnovers (10.6).

Tyronn Lue finally playing bigs and shying away fromcenter-less lineups

But perhaps the biggestdifference between this year’s Clippers and previous versions ofthe team might be Tyronn Lue finally playing his centers and usingthem to their full extent. His usual obsession with small-balllineups — with wings at the 4 and 5 spots — has been non-existentthis season, particularly since the team moved Nicolas Batum andMarcus Morris as part of the trade that netted Harden.

In previous seasons, Lue wouldclose out games with Batum at the 5, or even at times playingGeorge or Leonard there (which was kind of outrageous). Now, heutilizes his centers much better. On offense, Harden uses Zubac asa roller and rim threat for lobs, with Zubac catching and finishingeasy buckets. Also, Russell Westbrook has good chemistry withbackup center Daniel Theis in the second unit. Defensively, theClippers no longer have a size disadvantage that leads to offensiverebounds by opposing players, as Zubac and incoming Mason Plumleecommand minutes and bring physicality.

Using bigs has certainly changedthe way Los Angeles plays. Everything seems to be going rightfor the Clippers, who willtry to continue their strong play and contend for achampionship.