The Los Angeles Clippers' record this season has been a rollercoaster ride, with ups and downs. At the beginning of the season, he got his wish to get Harden to join. However, the incompatibility of Harden and Wei Shao in the starting line caused the team to suffer a six-game losing streak, and the record even fell to 11th place in the West.
Under the low morale, the second brother Wei Shao took the initiative to stand up and make sacrifices. He approached Tyronn Lue and asked to be dropped off the bench for Harden to lead the offense. After Wei Shao came off the bench, Coach Lu determined the basic tactics of Harden as the main control and the two-forward line as the endpoint. Under the tandem of Harden, the Clippers went all the way north, and even briefly topped the top of the West on the day when the Thunder and Timberwolves lost at the same time.
But after the All-Star break, the Clippers fell from the altar, and Harden's offense was sluggish, affecting the team's plans. But fortunately, the small card played steadily, and the Clippers were still able to get some wins. This season, the Clippers have a 51-31 record, which is fourth in the West, and their first-round opponent is the old enemy Dallas Mavericks.
But the Clippers now have a question, can the little card play the playoffs?
According to ESPN's Woj on the show, Xiaoka's knee is inflamed, the same knee he had surgery on before. From the game against the Hornets, he has not come back yet, which is enough to explain the problem. The recovery period of 21 days is not too short. Although a reporter previously posted that Xiaoka participated in shooting training, the sudden inflammation caused the knee to swell, which is not a trivial matter.
If the small card can't be played, the chances of the Clippers winning are not high, and there is even the possibility of being swept.
We know that the small card is the pillar of the Clippers, and George and Harden will have crotch pulls from time to time, but the small card is as stable as a robot. His performance will have a decisive impact on the Clippers' performance in this year's playoffs. On the offensive end, he is a scorer who can solve hard, and on the defensive end, he is a defensive gate with an iron wall. The integration of offense and defense is vividly reflected in him.
First of all, the absence of small cards will directly affect the team's offensive efficiency. This season, he played 68 games for the Clippers, averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Among them, the shooting percentage is 52.5%, the three-point shooting rate is 41.7%, the free throw is 88.5%, and the plus/minus is as high as +5.8 when on the court. As a versatile player, Jr. is able to play in multiple positions, and his ability to play unsolvable singles and create fouls is among the best in the league.
In addition, the injury situation of the small card will also have an impact on the morale and psychological state of the team. As one of the leaders of the team, Xiaoka's consistent performance on the field can bring confidence to his teammates. On the contrary, once the team is behind, there is no core pillar, and it is easy to mess up. Take the 76ers' winning and losing games before and after Embiid's injury is the most obvious example.
A knee injury is a long recovery process. Many NBA players have suffered knee injuries this year, such as the Rockets' Steven Adams who is out for the season due to surgery on the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The Bulls' Lonzo Ball is also out for two straight seasons with a knee injury. Some medical experts revealed that considering the complexity of the knee injury, even with non-surgical treatment, the recovery process can be long and uncertain, which may also affect his participation in the season, and the possibility of season reimbursement is not ruled out.