A few days before the start of the regular season, DNA of Sports finishes its traditional presentation, franchise by franchise, of the upcoming NBA season. Like every year, this takes the form of a countdown, from the teams expected at the bottom of the ranking to our favorite for the champion title. Today, place for the Clippers who still have a squad cut out for the title, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the lead, finally rid of their physical problems for their fourth return together in LA.
With the fifth largest payroll, and the second oldest squad in the League, the Clippers are the very definition of a veteran team (which is expensive). In this case, the objective is clear, clean and precise, it is the title and nothing else.
Because Steve Ballmer’s franchise intends to inaugurate its new room at the start of the next school year, the Intuit Dome, established in Inglewood to finally free itself geographically from the Lakers, with a positive dynamic. Which has not been the case over the last two years, with premature exits respectively in “play in” (2022) and in the first round of the playoffs last spring (in five rounds against Phoenix).
And health, first!
The keyword of the year will be the same as the last three: health. If Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can hold out over time, even if it means missing around ten games during the regular season, the Clippers can easily aim for the playoffs. Even the Top 4 if this doubled or even tripled collective manages to find its collective osmosis. “If Kawhi can play between 65 and 70 games, it can radically change things for us this season”confirmed Coach Lue on ESPN recently.
With Westbrook and Plumlee who have returned or even Kenyon Martin Jr, another native of California who returns to the fold (like George, Leonard, Westbrook and Powell), the Clippers have succeeded in their summer desire to bring youth and qualities athletic. Almost unchanged, the squad is bloated and, injuries or not, they will still be there to join the race for the Top 5.
Even more so if they manage to recover James Harden since discussions are still ongoing with the Sixers. Best passer in the NBA, the 2018 MVP has a lot to make up for after three transfer requests in three years, and perhaps he is the missing link for the Clippers to really play for the title. But we’re not there yet…
SUMMER MOVEMENTS
Arrivals: Kenyon Martin Jr (Rockets)
Departures: Eric Gordon (Suns)
THE PLAYER TO FOLLOW: KAWHI LEONARD
Since his Draft in 2011, Kawhi Leonard has only exceeded 70 games played in the regular season three times! Worse, since his departure from Spurs in 2018, in a 7-game season, the superstar winger has only had one campaign with 60 games played, and a blank season… It’s very simple, since he is with the Clippers, he has only played 147 games out of 308 possible!
If we cannot blame him for his production when he is on the boards, always above 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, Kawhi Leonard must imperatively build more automatisms with his teammates. This is essential if the Clippers want to get into the title race. In the crosshairs of the NBA which wants to see its stars play in major televised matches, “The Klaw” must nevertheless manage his effort to arrive in great shape for the playoffs, where his impact on both sides of the field (even if he is less defensively in recent years) can clearly tip LA to the right side.
After two serious injuries to the right knee in the last three seasons, including one to the cruciate ligaments in the playoffs in 2021 and another to the meniscus in April, it’s a risky bet…
Average age: 28.4 years
Payroll: $194.3 million (5th)
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
Truly in good shape and in full possession of their means, the Clippers can finally apply, master and even perfect the game plan concocted by Coach Lue, namely a versatile five hyoer, and he takes advantage of his squad full of wingers to weave a mobile and aggressive defense. We even see sequences with three backs, and the Leonard-George duo under the panels, and like two years ago, this disrupts the opponents a lot.
“I love our team, the way it has been built, we have a lot of players and a lot of versatility”explained Tyronn Lue. “The most important thing is that we have this feeling of urgency from the first match, we must be ready to play from the start. »
A message that got across well, and the wealth of its squad allows it to multiply combinations with an interior sector which can still do damage with the Zubac – Plumlee duo. In any case, night after night, the Clippers wear down their opponents thanks to the length of their bench and their physical power at all positions. But above all by a duo of superstars finally back on top, and who make the difference in hot moments.
In addition to Russell Westbrook who confirms his newfound impact, Norman Powell takes up the torch from Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams in the race for the Sixth Man Award. Everything is going so well that the Clippers even abandon the idea of getting James Harden, and they have no trouble finishing in the Top 4 of their conference. Tyronn Lue’s message got through.
THE WORST SCENARIO
Once again, injuries do not spare the Clippers who manage to stay afloat, thanks to the overactivity of a Russell Westbrook who is more leader than ever when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have to miss more games than expected.
The “play-in” is still on their way and, once again, a whole season lived one after the other, depends on the availability of the moment. For the second time in three years, the Clippers miss the playoffs and it sounds the death knell for this veteran team which includes no less than eleven players at the end of their contract! Batum, Morris, Covington and Plumlee were quickly disembarked to make way for a new, rejuvenated squad. As the team leaves Los Angeles for Inglewood, the managers hesitate to extend Tyronn Lue and Paul George, the project having reached the end of its run…
