The LA Clippers were dealt a tough hand when it came to this season. The Clippers lost Kawhi Leonard to an ACL tear during last year’s NBA playoffs. The injury ruled him out for most, if not all of the current season. And after 26 games, they lost their second superstar, Paul George, to injuries as well.
Many expected the Clippers to struggle without Kawhi Leonard this season. And that belief was further solidified after Paul George’s injury. But the Clippers have done fairly well for themselves, given the players they have available to them. In fact, the Clippers have managed a better record than two teams who were considered favorites to win the NBA championship this season.
The Clippers, who only got 26 games from Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this season, currently have a better record than the Lakers and the Nets.
Tyronn Lue has been doing a fantastic job in LA 💯 pic.twitter.com/Lstt0uRxBg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 2, 2022
The LA Clippers currently have a record of 33-31. That is better than their city rivals the Los Angeles Lakers, who have a very poor record of 27-34. And, they also have a better record than Eastern Conference heavyweights Brooklyn Nets, who boast a record of 32-31. And they’ve been able to do so while having only one of their superstars for just 26 games.
In comparison, the Lakers have had all three of their superstars in LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook play at least 35 games each this season. As for the Nets, they had Kevin Durant who played 36 games before his injury, Kyrie Irving who has only played 15 games due to the vaccine mandate. On top of that, James Harden played 44 games for them before he was traded to the 76ers.
The Clippers had hoped at the start of the season to get a decent seed in the Western Conference so that they could stand a chance in the playoffs with Kawhi Leonard returning. But Clippers’ head coach Ty Lue recently let slip that Leonard was unlikely to return to the team this season. Without Kawhi and Paul George, the Clippers have put up a big fight this season.
