Ever since the Los Angeles Clippers traded for James Harden and inserted him into their starting lineup, the team has struggled mightily. The Clippers have yet to win a game with Harden in the starting lineup and their core group consisting of Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard have yet to find their footing.

Now 3-7 on the season and looking to pick up a win against the red-hot Houston Rockets on Friday night, the Clippers have made a huge decision regarding Westbrook.

According to Bleacher Report's and TNT's Chris Haynes, Westbrook has requested to come off the bench for the Clippers in order to help establish more continuity. In wake of Westbrook's request, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue will have the All-Star point guard be the team's sixth man, as swingman Terance Mann will start in his place alongside Harden, George, Leonard, and center Ivica Zubac on Friday.

Currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak at the start of the season, change was inevitable for the Clippers. With championship expectations and four All-Star talents, someone on the Clippers was going to have to sacrifice their role to make the Harden acquisition work. Westbrook is hopeful that by moving to the bench, he will be able to lead the team's second unit and Harden will be able to play his normal point guard role alongside Leonard and George.

Harden, who has struggled since arriving in Los Angeles, led the league in assists per game last season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Since joining the Clippers, Harden has averaged just 15.0 points and 4.2 assists per game. Alongside Westbrook in the starting unit, the 10-time All-Star has been unable to get anything going, especially since the ball is not always in his hands.

Now, with Mann playing off the ball with the starters and Westbrook coming off the bench, the Clippers are hopeful that Harden will be able to regain his confidence as the team's primary playmaker.

In a total of 10 games with the Clippers this season, Westbrook has averaged 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor. He currently leads the team in assists and is second in rebounding. This marks the second straight season in which Westbrook began the year in his team's starting lineup and was moved to the bench after a handful of games, as this was the case with the Los Angeles Lakers.