The transformation of the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason was a sight to behold.
Jerry West fulfilled free agency expectations
Last season, the Clippers had a bunch of good players who functioned well as a cohesive unit and made the playoffs. Led by the coaching expertise of Doc Rivers, the Clippers were able to give the Golden State Warriors a run for their money before ultimately losing the series in Game 6. After that loss to the former defending champs, the message was clear to the rest of the NBA.
The Clippers, known as the little brother in Los Angeles, has a squad on deck.
Therefore, expectations were high coming into the offseason due to having over $60 million available in cap space — enough to sign two max players. Jerry West and the brain trust in the Clippers front office fulfilled those expectations by signing Kawhi Leonard and trading for Paul George.
To pry George away from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Clippers had to give up everything but the kitchen sink. The Thunder received a record amount of picks — four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick, and two pick swaps. Also, the Clippers had to give up prized rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a solid veteran in Danilo Gallinari. The Thunder may have gutted the Clippers for George, who finished third in MVP voting, but this is one gutting that’s worth it.
Can George and Leonard lead the Clippers to the promised land?
Now, the Clippers have two MVP caliber players who are capable of leading the franchise to a place it has never been before. Many refer to that foreign place as the “NBA Championship,” where players get to celebrate and lift the Larry O’Brien trophy. Therefore, is it a failure if Leonard and George are unable to lead the Clippers to glory in their first season together? Is that too much to expect from two highly talented players teaming up together for the first time in their careers?
Let’s delve into both superstar’s careers to this point.
Anything Leonard touches is gold
At the moment, it seems like Leonard has the Midas touch because whatever he touches turns into gold. After falling out with the San Antonio Spurs, Leonard played his hand and forced the Spurs to deal him to Toronto. Before Leonard arrived, the Raptors were known as a team who consistently fell short and were scared of a man named LeBron James. Matter of fact, many began to call Toronto “LeBronto” because of the team’s consistent failure to overcome LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Once Leonard arrived across the border, the Raptors adopted a new mindset and attitude.
The Raptors sent DeMar DeRozan packing to the Spurs and decided to pair Kyle Lowry with Leonard. This move proved to be a stroke of genius by Masai Ujiri because the Raptors immediately looked like title contenders. With the new landscape of the Eastern Conference (or in other words, LeBron took his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers), winning the conference was wide open. Leonard helped the Raptors to take advantage of their newfound landscape and earn their first appearance in the NBA Finals. Ultimately, the Raptors were able to overcome a depleted Warriors squad to win their first NBA title in franchise history.
Leonard won his second NBA Finals MVP trophy, and at that moment, many considered him to be the best player in the NBA. While Leonard has had a high rate of success in San Antonio and Toronto, George has traveled a much bumpier road.
George has had some rough patches in his career
In Indiana, George was budding into a star. Under Frank Vogel, the Pacers had back-to-back appearances (2013, 2014) in the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the Pacers fell to the Miami Heat both times. Fast forward to three years later, George voiced his desire to play for his hometown Lakers. And as a result, the Pacers shipped him to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo. In his first season in Oklahoma, there were high expectations. In addition to trading for George, the Thunder also traded for Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks to form a big three that included reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook, George, and Anthony didn’t live up to expectations and received a first-round exit courtesy of the Utah Jazz.
In the 2018-19 season, the Thunder removed Anthony from the equation and decided to roll with Westbrook and George being a dynamic duo. Ultimately, Westbrook and George were unable to get over that first-round hurdle and received one of the most disrespectful exits in NBA history courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers.
In Game 5, the ball was in Damian Lillard‘s hands with a few seconds remaining on the clock and the score tied at 115. Lillard took a shot from the parking lot over George and nailed it to give the Blazers a 4-1 series win. While the Thunder were looking dejected on the court, Lillard waved bye-bye like how a father would wave to his son before seeing him off to college. That was the final moment of George in a Thunder uniform.
Clippers have the tools needed to win an NBA Championship
Now, the Clippers have two superstars with a different aura surrounding them. Leonard is a player who’s capable of leading a team to a championship, while George is a player who can dominate as a second option. In addition to Leonard and George, the Clippers boast one of the best benches in the league. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Lou Williams leads the bench that averaged an NBA-high 53.2 points per game.
Not only will Leonard, George, and the bench be able to get buckets, but as a team, the Clippers will be stout defensively. Leonard is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and George earned his second selection to the NBA All-Defensive First Team last season. Also, the Clippers roster is stacked with defensive-minded players such as Patrick Beverley, Maurice Harkless, and Montrezl Harrell, to name a few. Overall, the Clippers have all the weapons to become an NBA Champion next season.
Is it fair to place lofty expectations on the Clippers so early? Probably not, but the squad is in place to fulfill those expectations. Therefore, there’s no excuse.
Go and get it!
