When the Los Angeles Clippers got Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and put some athletics and efficient players alongside them, many expected the duo to win championships. Arguably the two best two-way wings in the NBA, Leonard, and George, were expected to achieve big things together.
However, since getting them, the star duo has struggled with many individual injuries. Kawhi Leonard has suffered massive injuries, he even missed a whole season, while Paul George has picked up more minor injuries, but ones that kept him out in crucial moments. And considering their record when they play together, this is quite unfortunate.
Tomer Azarly on Twitter shared their record and the number of games they have played together. They played 104 games in their first two seasons together, including the playoffs. Their record was 27-10 in the regular season in 2019-20 and 7-6 in the postseason. In 2020-21, they were again 32-11 together in the regular season but 6-5 in the postseason, despite getting to the Western Conference Finals.
Since then, they have only played 38 games together, all of which came this season. They were 24-14, but it looks like they will likely get kicked out of the playoffs without getting the opportunity to play together. In total, that is 142 games in four seasons, which is very low. Their winning percentage of 67.6% shows they can win together, but it means nothing if they cannot stay available.
If season ends tomorrow, here's Kawhi Leonard & Paul George's records in their first 4 years together with Clippers:
2019-20:
50 games played (27-10 reg, 7-6 post)
2020-21:
54 games played (32-11 reg, 6-5 post)
2021-22:
0 games
2022-23:
38 games played (24-14 reg, 0-0 post)
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 25, 2023
The Los Angeles Clippers need to strongly consider their options moving forward. Kawhi Leonard’s health has been unpredictable for a while now, and people are already calling him a bad investment. If Steve Ballmer wants championships as he has said time and again, then perhaps it could be time to move on.
Kawhi Leonard And Paul George Are Impressive Together, But It Hasn’t Translated To Success
In the last four seasons, Kawhi Leonard has averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Meanwhile, Paul George has averaged 23.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. They have done this while playing excellent defense, and when they are on the floor together, they become a nightmare for any team to deal with.
However, their playoff performances have been quite subpar. Both Leonard and George were healthy when they blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in the Bubble. They got to the Western Conference Finals the next season, but Leonard got injured, and the series was lost. This year, both are injured. This record is simply not good enough, and that is a concern for the team.
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