When the Los Angeles Clippers were playing the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Semifinals last year, they were among the title favorites of the remaining teams in the playoffs. Unfortunately, superstar Kawhi Leonard sustained an ACL injury in Game 4 of the series and is still currently recovering from the catastrophic incident. Even with his absence, the Clippers are 7-4 at the beginning of their 2021-22 campaign.
Paul George is playing at a magnificent level, especially in the last six games where it all resulted in convincing victories. The willingness of owner Steve Ballmer to go over the salary cap in order to acquire more role players that would complement their superstar duo has proved to be a terrific asset for their franchise. Head coach Tyronn Lue has assigned his players to specific roles wherein they have flourished together as a tight-knit unit. As the season progresses, these are three main reasons why the Clippers will still be a formidable threat even without Kawhi.
PG is a selfless and influential leader
George has been the face of a ton of scrutiny over the last three years because of his failure to perform at a high level in the playoffs. Even with this harsh criticism, George has proven that he could still regain his phenomenal level of play when he was still with the Indiana Pacers. He is currently averaging 26.7 points per game, the second-highest of his career. Moreover, he is tallying a career-high in assists and steals per game with 5.4 and 2.5, respectively.
The lacking facet of George's performance in the playoffs over the last few years was his ability to contribute to other parts of the game for the Clippers even if he is struggling with his scoring. He has rectified that already this season as his defense, facilitating, and rebounding have improved from the previous year.
With this excellent performance of George, he has also galvanized his teammates to exceed expectations like all-around beast Nicolas Batum and towering big man Ivica Zubac.
Clippers are third in defensive rating
When a team is not as talented as their counterparts, they could still excel defensively through their tenacity and desire to limit scoring. The Clippers are known for their outside shooting prowess as they led the league in three-point shooting last season, but this year their new calling card is their defense.
The Clippers possess a defensive net rating of 102.5, the third-best in the association behind the league-leading Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets. The re-acquisition of former Clipper Eric Bledsoe has proved to be a perfect complement with his backcourt partner Reggie Jackson. Both of them have their own strengths as Jackson is focused on scoring, while Bledsoe is a defensive menace and a reliable facilitator.
Terance Mann, Batum, and George are three brilliant defenders as well who can guard anyone from one through four. With several defensive stalwarts, they are able to cover up some of the weaknesses of their other teammates through system and constant communication on that end of the floor. Even without Leonard, the Clippers could possibly remain one of the top defensive franchises in the league.
Roles are set by coach Lue
Lue has already propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise to their first championship last 2016, but critics have labeled him as lucky because he had LeBron James on his team. However, Lue has scrapped that notion in the early juncture of his tenure in L.A. as he has been able to impart the culture and environment he desires from his players.
Players like Batum, Bledsoe, and Justise Winslow had trouble finding their niche on their previous teams, but Lue has provided them with specific responsibilities in order to maximize their skill sets with the Clippers. Additionally, Lue has also been the key of the major improvements of Zubac, Jackson, and Mann as their abilities and production have immensely increased over the last seasons. One of Lue's instrumental strengths is his approach in communicating and interacting with each of his players as he is also a former player in the NBA.
As a leader of a unit, one must be able to utilize all his tools to reach their ceiling. With Lue still missing Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., and Serge Ibaka, the Clippers will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time. With a deep and cohesive team, this might just be the year where LA could finally make some noise in the playoffs while all the attention is on other organizations.
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