The Los Angeles Clippers have made some revisions to their roster coming into the 2020-21 season. After the first trial of the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George experiment went haywire, the front office knew that changes were imminent to be successful, which primarily was about complementing the team's superstar tandem in hopes of winning the franchise's first championship.

President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank made his commitment to the duo well known after agreeing to a max extension with George last week, adding an additional four years to the superstar's contract worth $226 million in total. The move sets Leonard up to possibly do the same next season, but a lot of his decisions will be based upon how far LA can go this season.

Many experts around the league believe that the Los Angeles Lakers will likely repeat as champions, which puts the Clippers in a different position than the one they were at going into the last season. They'll be coming into the 2020-21 season with a chip on their shoulder and needing to prove themselves.

Here are a few predictions as to what could take place in the upcoming season for the Clippers.

4. Serge Ibaka proves to be a better fit than Harrell

While losing Montrezl Harrell to their inner-city rivals in the Lakers surely does sting, it might not be as significant as what most people think. Harrell proved himself as a key piece in the Clippers' success last season, which earned him the honors of winning the Sixth Man of the Year award, though his consistency on defense was questionable. This was particularly noticeable in the playoffs when the Clippers faced off against the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers needed a better anchor in the frontcourt, and Ibaka could give them that.

The 7-foot center is coming off a solid season with the Toronto Raptors and brings more, at least in terms of size and experience, than Harrell to the Clippers. Moreover, Ibaka has a much better shooting touch from the perimeter compared to Harrell, whose range is very limited.

When it's all said and done, Ibaka may end up being one of the missing pieces the Clippers needed to get over the hump.

3. Kawhi Leonard-Paul George woes continue

The Clippers may have erased some of their coaching issues by parting ways with Doc Rivers, but there's still a fair amount of work to be done inside the Clippers' locker room. No more than halfway through last season, reports began emerging of the discombobulation that surrounded the Clippers co-star duo.

Rivers played the scapegoat role for a lot of the misfortunes that followed LA throughout the season, which means now it'll be up to the squad's two leaders to make a legit case as to why they weren't the toxic, inconsiderate teammates that many outlets wrote them off to be.

The problem with that, however, is that it wasn't just the media that speculated the dysfunction within the Clippers organization. Marcus Morris, who came to the team in the middle of the season, reportedly picked up on the discomfort immediately. Leonard, who's known to be a silent leader, will have to continue changing his ways and become more vocal to a team that seemingly has plenty of issues to iron out.

The only thing that can help silence the doubters for the Clippers in that regard is winning, and it starts with making the people around them happy first.

2. Paul George shines in the playoffs

George became a butt of jokes during the 2020 playoffs with his letdown performances. He got into a verbal war with Damian Lillard, which didn't sit right with fans given his own struggles. After he struggled against the Dallas Mavericks, it was hard to say whether he really had it in him to help the Clippers achieve their ultimate goal, which was to bring home a Larry O'Brien Trophy.

All that being said, it appears that George is ready to atone for his inconsistent playoff performance in the bubble. He's re-upped with the Clippers on an extension and is back working out with his old trainer. George knows that next season is a great chance for him to silence his critics.

With his credibility on the line, the six-time All-Star will be fully motivated to put up a fantastic season from start to finish.

1. Clippers bested by Lakers in Western Finals

Make no mistake, the Clippers will be better this year. Regular season records mean little to nothing when the postseason gets underway, which is something the Clippers will seriously take heed to this time around.

With the pair of Leonard and George still in the Clippers' fold, this team should be able to compete as a legitimate championship contender even though they lost some notable players in the offseason. The Lakers managed to upgrade their roster, and are currently viewed as the favorite to win the title, so it's fair to expect that the Purple and Gold will be able to find their way back into the Western Conference Finals again.

With the way things are currently projected, the Clippers will meet the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, but it'll be the Lakers walking away victorious once more.