While the Eastern Celtics and Western rising stars of the Grizzlies are making headlines on the entertainment page, an underdog team is quietly emerging in the West: the Clippers, who reached the Finals last year. After an early season adjustment period, the Clippers have rediscovered their old rhythm and recently made a nine-game winning streak under the leadership of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. This begs the question, how much potential do they still have, and is it within reach for the Clippers to reach the Finals again?
The reason why the Clippers managed to regain their excellent form
This nine-game winning streak is not a surprise. In fact, the Clippers have been outstanding for most of the season. The main contributors are naturally Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the two cores of the team.
Paul George has been trying to change the outside image of "pickled peppers" in the past two years. He realised he wasn't fit to be the team's leading scorer, so he deliberately ceded that position to Kawhi for the past two years. These two players work together so seamlessly that it's hard to defend. Paul George is averaging 23.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, and can play a huge role on both the scoring end and the playmaking end. Recently, his hand has been even hotter, allowing the Clips to once again have two MVP-level scorers.
A big reason for Kawhi's slightly worse form is that he needs to give too much on the defensive end. The Clippers lost their natural lock-in Patrick Beverly in the preseason, and the defensive system was no longer complete. As a result, Kawhi had to force both ends of the end, and the contribution value on the defensive end was better than the offense. Fortunately, as the regular season enters the mid-to-late stages, other players such as Marcus Morris Sr. are increasingly integrated into the team's defensive system, allowing Leonard to accumulate more strength as an offensive finisher. This is one of the big reasons why the Clippers have won smoothly recently.
The competition pattern in the western region has been reshuffled again
The Clippers successfully regained their form, and also reshuffled the competitive map of the West's wine and slow drinking.
First of all, the traditional powerhouses Lakers and Warriors have performed more repeatedly. The Warriors, in particular, are playing hot one day and falling into a trough one day. It has a lot to do with the injuries on their bodies. The Warriors' team doctor seems to have run out of bandages, and their rotation is almost as long as the starting list. So in a long period of multi-fixtures, it is not surprising that the form fluctuates. As for the Lakers, it is more of a problem for young players, and how to find stability is still a standard question to test their on-court performance.
At the same time, two up-and-comers are also making their mark in the West. One is a grizzly bear that has finally thawed after years of freezing, and Ja Morant's performance has impressed everyone; The other is the cunning Spurs, who have learned the lessons of last year's hard-fought battle with the Clippers and are back with a brand new lore weapon. The strength of these two dark horse teams should not be underestimated, and it is likely to cause a lot of trouble for the traditional powerhouses in the West in the playoffs.
Finally, and perhaps most surprisingly, the Dallas Mavericks, who finished the regular season in the West behind the Clippers. The problem is that it's hard for the current roster to beat any of the big teams in the West in a playoff round. So no matter how they make the playoffs, it's hard to go one step further.
Can the Clippers regain the championship
In such fierce competition, the Clippers still have a long way to go to regain the championship. The battle for the West is now heating up, and every win or defeat is extremely important to the final standing. The biggest advantage of the Clippers is that Leonard and George don't mind the regular season standings at all, in order to be at their best in the playoffs.
Of course, injuries remain the biggest variable this season. A team like the Clippers, which is both strong and famous, will inevitably be polite when the opponent defends. It also increases the probability of Clippers players getting injured. George and Leonard are both injury regulars, and the slightest mistake could miss the key moment again, which is still a big concern in front of the fast game.
However, as it stands, the Clippers are fully capable of reaching the Finals again. With both two MVP-caliber scorers on the line, no team has the confidence to beat the Clippers four in a row in a series. While the limitations remain, the chances of the Clippers reaching the top have never been greater. Let's wait and see if they can regain the championship this time.