The LA Clippers have faced a lot of adversity this NBA season. Despite that, they are still in a position to challenge for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Remaining competitive without a star player, as the Clippers have done without Kawhi Leonard all season, is difficult enough. But, when your co-star, in this case, Paul George, also goes down with an injury, it becomes that much tougher to deal with.
Yet, the Clippers haven’t let it derail them too much. While they may not be contenders without their All-Star duo, this is a team that still goes out every game and competes. They are currently 27-27 and without a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, there is no reason for them to not continue trying to win as many games as they can.
However, it is likely a little deflating knowing that they could be without Leonard for the remainder of the season. Paul George’s fate will likely be determined by the MRI that he has scheduled for February 24th. There is a chance that he is also held out for the duration of the season, but from the sounds of it, he has a better chance of returning than Leonard does.
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Kawhi Leonard re-signed with the LA Clippers this offseason with the intention of coming back to the court if he could. But, head coach Tyronn Lue did not sound optimistic about that occurring.
“I think the biggest thing is with Kawhi being out all year, and PG, not knowing what’s gonna happen with PG, the hardest thing for players, when your best two players are out – when you hear Kawhi’s gonna be out for a week or three days, you can muster that energy up, you can find a way to win games and continue to come in every single day and have positive vibes,” Lue said.
“But the enjoyment I get from this team, we know Kawhi’s probably not gonna come back, we don’t know the status of PG, but these guys continue to keep fighting. Every single night. And so that’s kind of how I had to play, that’s how I had to make it, so just seeing how these guys scrap and compete every single night, just makes me feel good – that’s the enjoyment I get from coaching this team.”
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He was asked to clarify the comments about Leonard, to which he responded that he is not a doctor, adding that hope is stronger than fear. While Lue is certainly hoping he gets his two superstars back in the lineup, only time will tell if that will happen.
There have been some rumors that the LA Clippers could look to move some of their veteran players ahead of the deadline and do a bit of a reset for the 2022-23 season when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be healthy. That would be a smart move, for as gritty and tough this team is, it is hard to imagine them making a run to the NBA Finals given the current construction of the roster.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Clippers-Pacers Trade Features Domantas Sabonis To L.A.
If LA wants to swing big and try to add a third star to the mix, someone like Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers makes sense. If they would rather recoup some assets and shed some salary, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum and Luke Kennard could all be discussed in trade negotiations.
