The LA Clippers knew that they would face some challenges during the 2021-22 NBA season without superstar Kawhi Leonard. Leonard injured his knee in their second-round series in the 2021 postseason against the Utah Jazz and needed to have an operation.
The Clippers had at least a little relief knowing they had another All-Star caliber player in Paul George to rely on. Unfortunately, they have also had to play without him for more than half the season.
George suffered an elbow injury in December that he attempted to play through. After missing five games, he returned to the court to play in two before being shut down. The last time he played was on December 22nd against the Sacramento Kings and he has been sidelined since.
They have struggled a bit since then with a record of 12-16, dropping them two games below the .500 mark on the season at 29-31. But, they are still within striking distance of a spot outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament, as they are six games behind the fifth-place Dallas Mavericks and 3.5 behind the sixth-place Denver Nuggets.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Norman Powell Raises Clippers’ Title Ceiling In Major Way
Knowing they were within striking distance probably played a part in the trade they made with the Portland Trail Blazers, which brought Norman Powell and Robert Covington to Los Angeles in exchange for Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, Eric Bledsoe, and a future second-round pick.
Powell is under contract through 2026 and will be a nice addition on the wing when the team is at full strength. That won’t occur until next season, but the LA Clippers could be getting some reinforcements shortly.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Norman Powell Raises Clippers’ Title Ceiling In Major Way
Justin Russo shared on his Twitter that TNT’s Chris Haynes reported Paul George could be back in the lineup the second week of March. That timetable is depending on the MRI he has scheduled on February 24th and the subsequent two-week ramp-up period he would have.
That would be a huge boost for the Clippers if they can get Paul George back in the lineup for the stretch run of the season. It would help re-establish the pecking order for the team as players such as Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris could fall into complementary roles along with Powell instead of being relied upon as the go-to scorers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Norman Powell Raises Clippers’ Title Ceiling In Major Way
Even without Leonard in the lineup, LA could be a dangerous team. The LA Clippers proved in last year’s playoffs they will not be an easy out. They won two consecutive games to eliminated the Jazz following his injury and pushed the Suns to six games in the Western Conference Finals.
