Kawhi Leonard has never been one to mince words in the media, and the man of few words almost always makes a stir when he does speak because it isn’t often that he does.
With the NBA season on the horizon and pre-season games already underway, the teams are fine-tuning and seeing their new additions play out on the court.
Kawhi Leonard, who played 68 games last season for the LA Clippers, is back in the training camp, and the target, as always, is a championship.
The Clippers finished fourth in the Western Conference last season but Dallas Mavericks sent them packing in the first round of the playoffs.
That is undoubtedly not good enough and the Clippers responded to Paul George’s departure by strengthening their overall squad.
Kawhi Leonard on LA Clippers’ additions
Clippers’ off-season wasn’t off to the best start when the Philadelphia 76ers handed Paul George a four-year, $212 million contract.
Clippers then re-routed and gave James Harden a two-year $70 million contract, while trying to regain the defensive solidity they lost by adding the likes of Derick Jones Jr and Kris Dunn, among others.
Ahead of their pre-season game vs the Golden State Warriors, which they would go on to lose 91-90, Leonard was asked about his thoughts on the addition.
Leonard, as brutally honest as ever, didn’t flinch before saying that he had been observing his new teammates but “nobody stood out to me so far”.
He said: “Just the new guys, I’ve been watching them. Seeing how they develop, watching them from day one, seeing their progression but nobody stood out to me so far.”
Leonard’s admission is likely to ruffle feathers but to be fair to him, neither Jones nor Dunn are explosive players that take your breath away.
They are wily additions to the squad that will bring the defensive solidity lost by George’s departure.
Assessing Clippers’ options
Losing a bonafide all-star caliber player is never easy, especially as Clippers paid a king’s ransom to bring him to the team in the first place.
However, they have done as well as could have been expected with the hand they were dealt. Instead of panicking and immediately spending the cash on an ill-advised name in the wake of George’s departure, they took the smart route.
Harden is still a prolific scorer and a short-term contract for him doesn’t leave them with an albatross around their neck if it doesn’t work out.
On the other end, Dunn and Jones will reinforce their defence and alongside Leonard, give the Clippers a world-class defensive setup.
Leonard’s minutes will be managed, as usual, so having two defensive-minded players to keep the team afloat on that end is a smart move.
It remains to be seen whether this team can rival the true championship contenders at the end of the day but their moves have been good so far.
Leonard is a hard man to impress still!
