On paper, the Los Angeles Clippers easily have one of the best teams in the NBA. With Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, John Wall, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers have a solid core of players that will keep them competitive on most nights throughout the season.
But the Clippers only go as far as Kawhi Leonard takes them, and can we really trust Kawhi to be consistently available? If you ask Stephen A. Smith, the answer is no. Here’s what he said on First Take after watching Kawhi’s buzzer-beater last night.
“They’re 14-11 on the year and when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy, we know this is arguably the favorite to represent the favorite in the Western Conference in the NBA Finals,” Smith said. “Because with Kawhi and Paul George, they’re just that gifted. I’m just a person that has no faith in the health of Kawhi Leonard. He’s a guy that wants to be 100% when he plays and anything less is an excuse not to be on the court. Hopefully, that has changed this year because he has certainly got his money but what we expected to see from him since we arrived with the Los Angeles Clippers hasn’t necessarily reached fruition. He is a superstar in this game as when he’s on the court, we know that he’s big-time, I just hope it stays that way. Every time that I see him I’m like ‘you’re gonna play next game?'”
"When Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy, we know that this is arguably the favorite to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. … I'm just a person that has NO faith in the health of Kawhi Leonard."
😳 @stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/6bX1na1BUV
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 6, 2022
Are The Clippers Legitimate Title Contenders?
When healthy, this Clippers team can be dangerous, but there are stills some questions about the strength of the supporting cast, who have been very streaky all season.
It has been tough for the Clippers, and especially for their stars, who have had to spend weeks on the sidelines. Amid rising criticism and growing anxiety among fans, Tyronn Lue was recently forced to come out in defense of Kawhi.
“They definitely want to play,” Lue said of Kawhi and PG. “We’ve just gotta be smart about it… Kawhi missed 15 months of basketball, you think he doesn’t want to play?”
At 13-11, the Clips have been painfully mediocre so far, but that’s not too surprising given how long PG and Kawhi were out.
Sadly, that’s been the story of this Clippers team for pretty much the entirety of this modern-day era for them. Let’s see if this is the year that the neverending cycle finally gets broken.
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