It hasn't particularly been the best past few days for the Los Angeles Clippers and its fans. Sure, Kawhi Leonard did play in his first back-to-back since April 2021, but the Clippers struck out swinging during that crucial stretch, losing two straight games to the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans that puts them in such a precarious position with the postseason beckoning.

What makes those defeats extremely disappointing was that the Clippers had gone off to strong starts during both of those games, going up by as many as 20 points against the Grizzlies and 10 against the Pelicans even without Paul George, who remains out with a knee injury. In particular, the first game against the Grizzlies surely elicited some eye-rolls from fans, especially when Leonard decided to sit out the rest of the second half even with the game remaining within striking distance (Memphis just led by four points at the halftime intermission.)

As a result of these two backbreaking losses, the Clippers will have to be near-perfect in their final three games, specifically in their next contest, a heated affair against the Los Angeles Lakers that should go a long way towards determining which team ends up in an outright playoff spot.

Making the postseason should be the number one goal for the Clippers at the moment. But once there, their goal, as has been the case since the 2019-20 season, is to win the franchise's first-ever championship. The overwhelming sentiment at the moment seems to be pessimism, given how uneven the Clippers' 2022-23 season has been. But there remains a few reasons for fans and pundits to continue believing in this veteran group.

Here are the three reasons why the Clippers will make and win the 2023 NBA Finals.

3 reasons why the Clippers will make and win the 2023 NBA Finals

Kawhi Leonard, two-time Finals MVP, is here

Ask any Philadelphia 76ers fan how they feel about Kawhi Leonard in a potential postseason matchup, and their response should say a lot about what makes the Clippers so dangerous if ever head coach Tyronn Lue and the rest of the team figure it out with a flip of the switch.

Leonard is as decorated a postseason performer as they come. As much of a myth there is surrounding the likes of Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler as those who elevate their game under the bright lights of the playoffs, it's the Clippers star forward who has proven, particularly in 2019, that he could be the foundational rock of a team good enough to win it all.

Even in 2021, when the Clippers were reeling against the Dallas Mavericks and they looked like they were going to regret letting Daniel Oturu barf up shot after shot to fall to the fourth seed, it was Kawhi Leonard who acted as the stabilizing, heroic force that allowed the Clippers to right the ship. Who could ever forget when Leonard dropped 45 points on 18-25 shooting from the field to stave off elimination on the road, including three straight stepback shots to drive one dagger after another onto the Mavs' hearts?

Sure, a lot has happened since then. Leonard tore his ACL, missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season to recover, and started the 2022-23 campaign off on the wrong foot. But his play over the past three months have shown that the Kawhi of old is still very much active and rearing to go. Even in their soul-crushing loss to the Pelicans, it was Leonard who tried to lift his team to victory with a 40-point night. (If only the Clippers could defend… but that's another story.)

The Clippers as a team and as a franchise may be difficult to trust. But trust Kawhi Leonard to show up when it matters most.

Shapeshifting, high-potential depth

Here is where the Clippers can't seem to find the right formula. Do they need a traditional point guard or don't they? Do they need a traditional backup center or do they just go small whenever they so please? And do they start Terance Mann, a player they've had success with in their starting lineup, or do they start Russell Westbrook, necessitating a feel-out process in the middle of the season? (Westbrook has had his low points as a Clipper, but he has overall been a positive addition, particularly on offense.)

This is where Clippers fans should trust head coach Tyronn Lue to figure out the right rotations given the matchup in front of them. Sure, Lue may have had his bouts of stubbornness when it came to Marcus Morris Sr., who is in the middle of a (steep) decline. Lue also can't seem to trust Robert Covington, giving him a short leash all season long. Moreover, Lue appears hell-bent on sticking with a three, or sometimes four-guard lineup that can't defend anybody.

But the postseason is a different animal. And for all of his coaching faults that have come to the surface this season, Lue has definitely earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to coaching a playoff series.

In 2021, the Clippers began the Mavs series with Patrick Beverley and Ivica Zubac playing huge roles in their rotation. However, Luka Doncic was seeing a 30-inch hoop with Beverley and Zubac in front of him, so Lue cut them out of the rotation entirely. Lue went to Nicolas Batum instead, trusted the Clippers' ability to gang rebound, and ended up winning the series in 7.

And then in the ensuing series against the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, Beverley played a huge role in defending Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker, en route to the Clippers' first ever Western Conference Finals-appearance and a competitive series against the Suns despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard.

Simply put, Tyronn Lue knows his way around a seven-game series. As difficult as it may be to see at the moment, the Clippers could very well unlock a new level when they figure out the matchup, leading to a deep playoff run contrary to most expectations.

The Paul George x-factor

Of course, the biggest reason why many doubt the Clippers' ability to mount a deep postseason run is the uncertainty of Paul George's playing status. Sure, George has had his fair share of memeable postseason moments (Game 6 in 2017 against the Jazz, Game 4 in 2020 against the Mavs, Game 7 in 2020 against the Denver Nuggets, and his missed free-throw in Game 2 of their 2021 series against the Suns), but players of his caliber don't exactly grow on trees.

But if the Clippers make it to Round 2, there remains a chance for one of the best two-way players in the game to make his return. That remains a big-if, that's for sure, given that they would face the Suns in the first round if the season ended today, but George's return should, at the very least, give the Clippers a bench-unit stabilizer, a 6'9 forward that should prevent Lue from going with his three-guard units.

There are plenty of ifs at the moment; Paul George returning to 100 percent isn't even a given at this point. George has endured a few lower body injuries in the past (hamstring, leg, knee), and he's getting up there in age, and a rushed return to the hardwood could end up being detrimental to his long-term prospects.

At the end of the day, however, one cannot understate how much a postseason return can galvanize a team. And the Clippers seem like the kind of team that thrives off vibrant energy – when they're on a roll, they simply are hard to stop. And Paul George's potential comeback should give the Clippers incentive to rally and hold the fort as they try to win their elusive championship.