Not many people outside the team's most loyal fans believe that the Los Angeles Clippers are capable of taking down one of the heavy favorites to win the 2023 NBA championship in the Phoenix Suns. And as much as fans believe in the Clippers' ability to mount a stunning upset, it will be an extremely difficult task without the services of Paul George. who will miss at least the first few games of the series due to a knee injury. It was already difficult even with George healthy, but it now becomes such an unforgiving, if borderline impossible task, to pull off.
Even then, losing George is not the end of the world for the Clippers. The Clippers, despite losing Kawhi Leonard to a torn ACL during their most recent playoff appearance (2021), still managed to knock off the one-seeded Utah Jazz and compete against the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. And this time, as good of a player George is, it will be the better two-way wing in Leonard who takes on The Valley as the team's lone superstar.
The Clippers will also have a chip on their collective shoulder, as they only have a Western Conference Finals appearance to show for in Year 4 of the Leonard-George era. Their core also isn't getting any younger, which should urge them to put their best foot forward in a series that heavily favors the Kevin Durant-led Suns.
There might not be an argument in existence that would make the Clippers favorites in their series against the Suns, but knowing how battle-tested the Clippers are, there is no chance they roll over, even without Paul George.
These are three reasons why the Clippers will upset the Suns in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs to avenge their 2021 postseason defeat, George's absence notwithstanding.
Never count out Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs
NBA history has always tended to look favorably towards players who step up in the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard is no different. Leonard may not be the most productive regular season player ever, and there's no chance he will ever be, given how much he needs his rest days to deal with his right quadriceps tendinopathy.
But there's a reason why no one questions Leonard's inclusion in the NBA's 75-best players, and why there are no doubts regarding his future Hall of Fame candidacy.
There may not be a more threatening opponent to face in the playoffs than a locked-in Leonard, who always elevates his game under the brightest of lights. The Clippers star is the rare player who posts a better true shooting percentage in the playoffs, and against the Suns, he may be able to take advantage of a lopsided matchup against the likes of Josh Okogie or Torrey Craig.
Of course, Kawhi Leonard is no longer the explosive defensive force he was in the past, as he has evidently slowed down due to all the lower-body injuries he's suffered through the years.
But his offense remains otherworldly, especially when he began to turn things around in January, and as long as Leonard is on the active roster, the Clippers have a chance to win.
The Clippers' depth is much better than the Suns'
One of the main selling points that convinced many pundits of the Clippers' championship chances before the season began was their depth. The Clippers have a plethora of two-way wings who are capable of spacing the floor all the while being able to at least hang on the perimeter defensively.
However, throughout the course of the 2022-23 season, the Clippers just haven't been able to consistently find the right formula, going small when they need to crash the glass, and being vulnerable to five-out offenses when playing a traditional center.
But head coach Tyronn Lue has always been adept at recognizing which correct rotation decisions to make given the playoff matchup in front of him. This was especially the case in 2021, when he decided to bench Patrick Beverley and Ivica Zubac against the Dallas Mavericks despite playing a huge part in their rotation for most of the year.
And with the Clippers having a lot of pieces that allows them to shapeshift based on the opponent, all Lue needs to do is push the right buttons and ride the hot hand. And who knows, perhaps the Clippers can ride the hot hand en route to four needed victories without the services of PG13.
They will also have a huge advantage over the Suns in this regard, as they traded a lot of their important role players in the deal that brought Kevin Durant to The Valley.
The Russell Westbrook rollercoaster
Russell Westbrook has proven that there's still a place for him in the NBA after fitting in nicely with the Clippers. But the question is, can Westbrook contribute positively when the game slows down in the playoffs, especially given the glaring flaws of his game?
Fans know the drill by now: Westbrook's inability to shoot efficiently from deep hampers the impact he can have for his team. Defenders are able to wall off his driving lanes by daring him to shoot, while they can ignore him completely when he spots up from beyond the arc.
Even then, Russell Westbrook's highs can be as high as they come. His stellar 36-point outing against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 29 comes to mind. There's no denying that when Westbrook is at his best, his teams are difficult to stop. The hope now for the Clippers is that he strings consecutive games of solid production especially when he stands as the Clippers' second-most dangerous offensive option after Kawhi Leonard.
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