The Los Angeles Clippers have been largely overlooked as contenders for the 2022 Championship.
While they may not be the Nets or Lakers, the Clippers should certainly be seen as one of the league’s elites, even if Kawhi ends up missing most of the season.
The key will be Paul George, who will essentially make or break the season for L.A. After failing to lead his team to their first-ever Finals, PG will be fighting to prove that he can, indeed, be good enough to carry his team without their best player.
And while doubts remain about his effectiveness as a leader, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk claims he could be in for a monster campaign.
“Can we say that Paul George silenced some of the trolls with his playoff run last year? I’d like to think so.
But you know what, he stepped up in the playoffs and he certainly played well enough to think he can carry this team without Kawhi Leonard. I think we could see MVP PG this season. He’s in the right state of mind, he’s comfortable, he’s got his BFF Reggie Jackson on the team and I think he’s gonna channel that Indiana Pacers Paul George, like he did in the playoffs.”
Paul George doesn’t have the best track record for consistency. Over the years, his play in the regular season hasn’t quite matched up to his performance in the playoffs.
And while it’s plausible to think that Paul George ends up with an MVP in 2022, the real test will be what comes after.
How far can he take the Clippers without Kawhi? Is he capable of carrying a team on his own through multiple rounds of the postseason?
Needles to say, this next campaign will tell us a lot about Paul George.
For the Clippers, their window is closing fast. After finishing their second season in the Kawhi/PG era, and nothing to show for their efforts, they’re approaching year three as major underdogs in the West.
As questions about Kawhi’s health continue to circulate, nobody knows when he’ll return, or if he’ll be the same player when he does.
Regardless, this upcoming season, the Clips will only go as far as PG takes them.
