With Kawhi Leonard unable to play all season and Paul George sidelined for a long time due to injury, the Clippers have been greatly affected. But they appear to be resilient, the Clippers are the team with the most reversals in the league by more than 20 points throughout the season, although the seventh place in the West is not particularly high, but it can lock up playoff places early, and the record is better than the City's sworn Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets led by Durant and Kelly Irving, and the Clippers have made everyone awe-inspired.
Of course, competitive sports still have to speak of strength, even if the current lineup makes the Clippers seem difficult to deal with, but no one will regard them as a member of the championship group. However, if Kawhi Leonard can make a comeback, it will all be very different. According to relevant reports in the US media, if the Clippers can successfully break through from the playoffs, at that time, Kawhi Leonard may choose to come back and represent the Clippers in the playoffs. This news will obviously have a great deterrent effect on other teams in the West, after all, Kawhi Leonard is still one of the best players in the league in his health, and the Clippers should also be regarded as a member of the championship group.
In the summer of 2019, Cowy Leonard, who had just led the Raptors to the first championship trophy in team history, became a free agent, and he immediately caused a number of strong chases, and finally after weighing, Kohuai Leonard and Paul George chose to join the Clippers together and become the team's forward twin star combination. In the subsequent 19-20 season, Kawhi Leonard averaged 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game, leading the Clippers to second place in the West, which is obviously a considerable improvement. Many people may be surprised by the second round of the Western Conference with the Nuggets, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are in a sluggish state, but in fact, from the overall performance of the playoffs, Kawhi Leonard still averaged 28.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game, which is better than in the regular season.
Last season, both Cowy Leonard and the Clippers as a whole were desperate to prove themselves. Kawhi Leonard's regular season is a small test, averaging 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, the basic data has declined compared with the past, and the Clippers often arrange for him to take turns, so the team's record and ranking have also declined. But Kawhi Leonard's three shooting percentages are 51%, 40% and 89%, just one point away from making it to the 180 club. The Playoff Clippers met the Dallas Lone Rangers in the first round for the second consecutive year, they started unfavorably, losing two home games in a row, Cowhi Leonard saw that the situation was not good and immediately opened the peerless mode, the Lone Rangers, whether they sent Finney Smith, Maxi Klebel or Hardaway Jr., could not stop Kowhi Leonard, and finally the Clippers came in, defeating the Lone Rangers by grabbing seven hard battles, eliminating the opponent for the second consecutive year to advance to the second round.
Although Kawhi Leonard was repeatedly reimbursed for injuries due to excessive consumption in the series with the Lone Rangers, his heroic performance gave other teammates a chance to breathe, and the Clippers used their lives to finally reverse the Utah Jazz, who was at the top of the Western Conference in the regular season, and reached the division finals in a historic way. The Clippers management naturally knew Leonard's value and role, so despite his injury again, the Clippers still offered Cowhi Leonard a four-year super-contract worth $176 million. To know that the latter, although it is 30 years old, is still at the peak of professional players, and Kawhi Leonard is a floor flow play, the decline should be slower, so as long as the main lineup framework is maintained, the Clippers have a chance to compete for the championship in the next 3-5 years.
As another member of the Twins, Paul George, who started the season with a heroic start, was absent for three months due to injury in the middle of the season and just finished his comeback not long ago. However, Paul George almost immediately adjusted to his best condition, making his comeback debut against the Utah Jazz, Paul George scored 34 points, 6 assists and 4 steals, especially he ushered in the outbreak in the final quarter to help the Clippers achieve a big reversal; then against the Eastern Powerhouse Chicago Bulls, although the Clippers lost bitterly, Paul George still got 22 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals; and in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Paul George only had 15 points, but gave 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. The Clippers also won big.
Even during the Gemini absence, the Clippers showed amazing bench depth and mental attributes, and head coach Tyrone Lu naturally contributed. In the past, people always said that he couldn't leave the superstar, but it turns out that Coach Lu does have two brushes, and the civilian legions have a good lower limit, so if the Gemini stars can stay healthy, the Clippers will undoubtedly be the first team in the league. Judging from the current rankings, if the Clippers successfully enter the playoffs, the first-round opponents will be produced in the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies, and if Kawhi Leonard really chooses to make a comeback, this showdown will be more interesting. Maybe this season the Clippers want to win the championship is indeed a little difficult, but obviously no team wants to meet them too early, after all, not to mention whether they can laugh to the end, even if they cross the border, there will be a huge consumption, so the Clippers may be the biggest spoiler of the season, to a certain extent, to determine the final championship.