The season is over for the Los Angeles Clippers. After giving the New Orleans Pelicans their best shot in the final Play-In, it's going to be an early offseason for LAC.
But given everything that the Clippers went through this season, the fact that they even got this far is a testament to how dangerous this team can be when it finally reaches its peak form. Now, that's a big if. But assuming the early offseason and injury precautions they took this year pay off for next season, Los Angeles may be the biggest threat to take the Larry O'Brien trophy next season.
Here are the three (3) biggest reasons the Los Angeles Clippers are the clear title favorites going into next season:
Supporting cast of death
If you told any die-hard fan that Kawhi Leonard wouldn't play a single game, Paul George would miss more than half the season, and the team would have several bouts against the dreaded COVID-19 protocols tag, you would assume that a year in the NBA dregs was a foregone conclusion.
But somehow, some way the Los Angeles Clippers finished with a winning record during the 2021-22 NBA season. At 42-40, under old circumstances before the Play-In Tournament era, they would've made the playoffs. It all just goes to show just how solid of a supporting cast the Clippers have built around their two franchise cornerstones.
Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris were rock-solid as the Clippers' two biggest scoring threats sans PG13 and Kawhi, averaging 16.8 and 15.4 points per game respectively. Luke Kennard turned into the most efficient three-point shooter in the NBA this season with a 44.9% clip on six attempts per game. Terance Mann, Robert Covington, Ivica Zubac, and Norman Powell have all shown their worth in a playoff atmosphere at one time or another in the past.
Without their two best players, the Los Angeles Clippers were a winning team that just added another year of chemistry under their belt. Just imagine how they'll look next season.
Superstar to come back stronger
Speaking of which, the upside of Kawhi Leonard not forcing a return this season is that he'll have one full regular season and two entire offseasons worth of recovery for his ACL injury. Expect a ton of load management tags next season as he returns to playing shape. But remember the last time he came off an injury-riddled season wherein his return seemed in question all throughout the year? That's right. He won his second championship.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue on next season: "You get Kawhi back, top five player. You get PG, a perennial All-Star. The team changes tremendously."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 16, 2022
Paul George, meanwhile, will have just 32 games (31 regular season + 1 Play-In) of total workload going into next season. The seven-time All-Star was able to erase the Playoff P narrative made about him during last season's playoffs when he had to carry the Clippers.
Their tandem has both been battle-tested and are both absolutely well-rested for next season. This year may have been a wash of a year for the Clippers, but it just sets them up for an even stronger push at a title for next season with a supporting cast that can more than hold their own without their stars on the floor.
Tyronn Lue
The Clippers were able to thrive with a depleted roster this season and were just one win away from making the playoffs. They were able to reach the Western Conference Finals and compete despite not having their best player healthy. The have the top-end talent and the supporting cast to compete, but it's been Tyronn Lue serving as the one constant behind their success throughout the various lineup changes.
The former NBA champion coach has cut his teeth on various iterations of LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers and now has done the same with the Los Angeles Clippers. He's simply proven that he's one of the better coaches in the NBA today. If you ask LeBron himself, he'll tell you that Tyronn Lue belongs in a league of his own.
Simply the BEST coach in the game! ARGUE with your kids not me. 🤷🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 16, 2022
The Los Angeles Clippers have all the ingredients and the right chef to build the perfect recipe for a championship run next season. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George coming back at full strength, a supporting cast that's learned how to stay afloat without them, and Tyronn Lue calling the shots, LAC is a clear frontrunner next season.
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