After a rough start to the James Harden era, the Los Angeles Clippers have since turned themselves into what seems to be one of the best teams in basketball. The Clippers currently sit with an impressive record of 23-13, and although it took several games for things to come together, Harden now has established great chemistry with costars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to create a formidable threat in the Western Conference.

Recently, former Clippers coach (and Harden's former coach with the Sixers) Doc Rivers stopped by The Ringer's The Bill Simmons Podcast to discuss Los Angeles' recent success and why he believes the Clippers can compete with anyone around the league.

“Who has more talent than the Clippers?” wondered Rivers, per The Ringer on X. “I don't think the Celtics, I don't think anyone has more talent [than the Clippers.] If you go eight to nine deep, there is not a team more talented than in the NBA–I don't even think it's close–than the Clippers.”

Indeed, Los Angeles does boast an impressive array of pieces around the three-headed snake that is James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. Manning the middle is solid big man Ivica Zubac and strong complementary role players like Norman Powell flank the star trio to make it extremely difficult to defend Los Angeles in the halfcourt.

It remains to be seen whether the Clippers truly have enough to compete with the Denver Nuggets and other powerhouses, or whether they'll even stay healthy, which has always been their biggest concern. However, the early returns are promising.