For the first time in franchise history, the Los Angeles Clippers are title contenders with superstars and California natives Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the way. LAC was in second place in the Western Conference standings before the 2019-20 season was suspended last March.
The Clippers were also 2-1 against the Los Angeles Lakers, who have the top record out West.
Leonard, George and the rest of the crew will be in Orlando, Florida for the resumption of the season at Walt Disney World. While the NBA hiatus was no doubt a dampener for everyone in the NBA, the extended time off was beneficial for three important Clippers players.
3. Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard was already going to miss a handful of games in the regular season due to load management. The hiatus basically allowed the two-time Finals MVP to rest without getting blasted for it by the national media.
Load management worked perfectly for Leonard in 2018-19. He was fresh for the 2019 playoffs and helped the Toronto Raptors win their first-ever championship. Now, Leonard will try and do the same thing for the Clippers in the 2020 postseason.
Prior to games getting suspended, Leonard was averaging 26.9 points, 7.3 boards and 5.0 assists in his first season back home in Los Angeles. No one in the NBA wants to see a fresh Kawhi in the playoffs, that's for sure.
2. Paul George
Paul George only appeared in 42 games for the Clippers before Rudy Gobert's positive COVID-19 test. The six-time All-Star missed the first 11 games of the season recovering from his two offseason shoulder surgeries. George also missed a few games due to a hamstring injury.
The NBA hiatus provided George with the opportunity to stay off his feet and unbend his surgically repaired shoulders. PG-13, who is averaging 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists on the season, should be in full throttle once the 2020 playoffs start.
1. Patrick Beverley
One of the best defenders in the NBA, Patrick Beverley exerts a lot of energy on defense, especially when he's trying to guard superstars such as James Harden, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
The Clippers' defensive ace never runs out of energy in the first place, but Beverley may have even more gas in his tank for the 2020 playoffs since he's been resting.
Prior to the suspension of the season, Beverley was putting up 7.9 points while shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Clippers don't really need the Chicago native to score on offense. Doc Rivers and Co. just want him to be feisty for 48 minutes on defense.
Follow Us
Subscribe