Since the new century, the NBA has been known as "no weak brigade in the west". Almost every season, the competition between the Western conference teams is very fierce. However, that disappeared this season, and the rapid rise of eastern teams has completely changed that situation. The situation in the West is now very clear, and as the Warriors gradually fall behind in the competition for the top of the list, the Sun enjoys the thrill of "seeing the mountains and small mountains". Pervasive injuries are responsible for the West's significant loss of strength between seasons, with the Clippers and Nuggets being the teams most affected by injuries. As the season draws to a close, the Clippers are also about to return with two core players, and it seems that they are the biggest spoilers in the West.
According to NBA reporter John Ireland, Leonard's recovery is very optimistic, they are gradually increasing the intensity of training, and Leonard, George and Powell are likely to return in the playoffs. The news is not empty, the news about Leonard is returning to the public eye, it is likely that the Leonard camp is building momentum. In addition, in today's pre-game training against the Warriors, we can already see Leonard take off the protective gear on his knees, and the training movements are relatively smooth, which shows that Leonard is close to a comeback. If the recovery is not ideal, the Clippers will not let him follow the team for a long journey, adding to the recovery pressure. Last summer, after Leonard announced that he would undergo surgery, the official estimated recovery time was about 9 months, and the play-offs began in mid-April, which is basically in line with Leonard's return time.
Compared to Leonard, George's situation is relatively optimistic. Earlier, Clippers coach Terrenlu mentioned George's situation in an interview: "According to the MRI results, George's situation has improved. He's found the feel of shooting in his right hand, he's always in shape and we're expected to see him make his comeback in March. It can be seen that the Clippers are still optimistic about George's comeback, and for the sake of safety, the Clippers may not arrange for George's early comeback. Powell's situation is still confusing, and the Clippers have not given a specific comeback schedule, which to some extent shows that Powell's injury is not simple. Powell suffered a fractured left foot in early February, and given the recovery time of other players, it may be difficult for Powell to get back on the field this season. Fortunately, the current Clippers are not very dependent on Powell, so the Clippers are not pessimistic.
The Clippers are currently eighth in the West with 34 wins and 33 losses, 4.5 wins ahead of the Lakers and 4.5 wins behind the Timberwolves, and this up-and-down ranking allows them to more confidently let Leonard and George recuperate. For this Clippers, as long as they can make it to the playoffs, any ranking is acceptable to them. Once in the playoffs, they're definitely something no Western team wants to meet. According to this momentum, the Clippers are likely to enter the playoffs with a seventh or eighth place in the West, and perhaps they can really complete the counterattack. The Suns have no choice, and the Warriors and Grizzlies, presumably neither of them wants to meet the Clippers in the first round.
Although the Warriors beat the Clippers 112-97 today, the reference value of this game is not high. The Clippers once again showed their counter-attacking nature in this game, and they once again achieved a point chase in the fourth quarter. What should worry the Warriors the most is that Tyrone lu is still the coach who knows how to block Curry the most, and Curry only scored 15 points in today's game, even if the Warriors won the game, but this did bring new problems to Kerr. The Warriors won today thanks to the great play of other players, but the Clippers, who are fully returning, are one of the most defensive teams in the league. At that time, while Curry is blocked, can the rest of the Warriors play such a perfect performance? From another point of view, the Clippers, who are fully returned, the Warriors also do not have enough defensive resources to match, and when the time comes, Kerr needs to have a headache not only on the offense.
However, Leonard, who has rested for 8 months, returns to the first game after returning to the "win or go home" play-off, such a game is no better than the regular season, whether Leonard can adapt, this is also a question. But Leonard's comeback is also not to be underestimated for the team's gains, and it depends on how the Clippers choose.