54 million to 5.3 million! Harden is also hard to save. Is it time for the super scorer to retire?

It is hard to imagine that a man who once signed a super maximum salary of 252 million can now only take a basic salary of 5.3 million to desperately look for opportunities.

This person is Bradley Beal, the top scorer who averaged 30+ per game in the Wizards. Now he seems to have lost his way again in the Clippers.

As soon as the new season kicked off, the league fell into chaos.

In the Western Division, the Spurs started with four consecutive wins and maintained an unbeaten record like the defending champion Thunder, tying the team's record in one fell swoop. Bunyama, on the other hand, put in a monster performance, averaging 31 points, 13.8 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per game, looking like he could lead the Spurs back to the top.

The Eastern Division is even more dramatic. So far, the teams that have maintained a winning record are the Bulls and 76ers. Especially for the 76ers, the team's second-in-command Paul George is still recovering from injury, and Embiid's playing time is also strictly limited. So far, he has played 3 games in four games, averaging only 21 minutes per game.

With the two team bosses semi-invisible, the young people in the team showed their spirit and became the most unexpected dark horse team in the league. Even from another perspective, the 76ers without George and Embiid seem more like a complete team.

In contrast, the Clippers, who signed heavily during the offseason, are a bit embarrassed. A group of veterans with a full rotation formed a team. They were beaten by the Jazz at the beginning of the season, and then won consecutive games against the Suns and Trail Blazers, and finally found some opportunities.

New aids Collins and Lopez support the inside line of the team, while old partners Harden and Kawhi sit on the left and right. Judging from the strength on paper, this team is luxurious enough, but there is also a problem. Bill, an old friend who was personally recruited by Harden during the offseason, performed quite awkwardly among the senior veterans.

Looking back at Bill's career, it can definitely be regarded as the decadence of a super contract; in the summer of 2022, Bill signed a five-year maximum salary of 252 million with the Wizards. At that time, he was still a loyal representative respected by the entire league. But he was sent to the Suns a year later, but then the three luxurious players were injured, and the adjustment process was stumbling. In the end, the Suns collapsed, and Bill could only take the blame and leave the team.

The Suns bought out the remaining two years of the contract worth US$110 million and delayed payment for five years. Then Harden took action. He took the initiative to make phone calls during the offseason and personally convinced the Clippers management. In this way, Bill's annual salary dropped from 54 million to 5.3 million and came to the Los Angeles Clippers.

From within the team, the Clippers should value Bill quite a bit. Kawhi, Harden, and general manager Frank all supported him on media day, and even officially announced his starting position in advance. But he seemed to have failed to seize this opportunity. Just after one game in the preseason, he began to have knee problems. Even though he confidently stated that he would recover 100%, the familiar back injury recurred just two games into the regular season.

So far, Bill has played two games, averaging 20 minutes per game, only scoring 5.5 points and 1 assist, with a three-point shooting rate of 44%+25%+100%. In addition to inefficient performance, BR's official high-level data shows:

When Bill is on the court, the Clippers have a net loss of 23.5 points per 100 possessions;

When Bill and Harden are on the court, the Clippers have a net loss of 12.5 points;

When Bill and Leonard are on the court, the Clippers have a net loss of 11.9 points.

Judging from this data sheet, the Clippers' offense and defense are more stable and smooth when Bill is not playing. Even after Bill officially announced his injury, the Los Angeles media directly posted:

"Bill's injury may be good news for the Clippers."

Looking back on the Clippers' original intention of introducing Bill, they mainly hoped that he could fill Powell's firepower gap; but today's Bill is not only slow on defense, but also difficult to make stable contributions on the offensive end. Under Bill's inefficient performance, it even affected Harden. He actively helped Bill find his rhythm in every game. Sometimes he would choose to pass the ball to Bill even though he could take the shot. But in exchange, it was the sound of iron striking again and again.

Obviously, at present, Bill's body seems to be unable to support his desire to compete. What is even more lamentable is that this 12-year-old prospect, at the golden age of 32, has gradually been abandoned by the times.

After the salary plummeted from 54 million to 5.3 million, even if his friend Harden wanted to give him a hand, some people may never come up again after they fall.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Clippers are likely to be Bill's last stop. As for the Clippers, they may also be prepared in advance for a future without Bill.