The Los Angeles Clippers are on the verge of self-destruction. If Kawhi Leonard and his men don't right the ship in Game 3, things could get ugly real fast.
Luka Doncic has proven to be a potentially all-time great talent and has led his Dallas Mavericks to a 2-0 series lead. If he can complete the upset over the Clippers, he'll cement an early legacy of playoff success that only the best of the best often do. But Doncic's rise is more a matter of when, not if. Had he fallen just one more year and come back stronger for a run next season, nobody would have faulted the 22-year-old just yet.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are sitting pretty as well. They faced a similar hole against their own first-round opponent in the Phoenix Suns. While the Purple and Gold overcame adversity to tie their series up, their crosstown rival Clippers failed to hold serve.
In the grand scheme of things, LeBron James facing Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers, and proving he could beat them, would have been another jewel in The King's GOAT crown. Judging by how LA has looked through its first three postseason series in the Kawhi era, James would definitely have the upper hand in dispatching their Staples timeshare buddies.
But the real winner is neither James nor Doncic. It's not even anybody in the playoffs thus far. The true winner in any potential Clippers collapse would be the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Just two offseasons ago, the move to trade for Paul George to flank Kawhi Leonard was widely celebrated. The trade package they paid seemed steep at the time, but even just one championship banner raised would be all worth it in the end. But in hindsight, the price wasn't just steep. The Clippers basically sold their soul to the devil, who apparently is a huge fan of the Thunder.
Let's recap everything in a nutshell. The Clippers' biggest regret is sending away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Just that part stings so much considering how amazing he would have been alongside Leonard and George. Just imagine another lengthy ball-handler who could create his own shot and wreak havoc on the defensive end with his size. Not only would he have been the perfect third star on a championship contender, he'd provide a clear gateway to the future of the Clippers once Leonard and George go past their prime or move on to a different franchise.
At 22 years old, SGA averaged 23.7 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting over 50% from the field and 41.8% from the 3-point line this season. The numbers he put up early in the season weren't in losing efforts, either. Before the Thunder went full tank mode and started sitting Gilgeous-Alexander, they were moderately competitive with SGA leading the way. Had the Clippers held firm in keeping SGA, surely the Thunder might have been willing to budge for other pieces or an additional pick instead?
But after giving up their young stud, the Clippers also gave up control of their first-round pick for five seasons into the future. LA either outright owes OKC its first-rounder or have to swap with them from 2022 up until 2026. The cache of nearly fully unprotected picks is already daunting to imagine. But what if the worst-case scenario happens and the Clippers end up in their nightmare situation?
With the Clippers' future looking murky, it seems like a foregone conclusion that some of those picks would end up in the lottery. It's just a matter of when at this point.
The final timeline widely depends on the final outcome of this series, and then eventually the decision to be made by superstar Kawhi Leonard. If LA falls to the Mavs, who knows what the enigmatic star would plan to do in the offseason. He could very well re-sign despite all the turmoil, but predicting what Kawhi Leonard is planning to do has largely been a futile effort throughout his unorthodox career.
But at the end of the day, the series is still up for grabs. Despite facing a 2-0 deficit with the next two games on the road, stranger things have happened. The Clippers themselves gave up a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets during last year's playoffs. Los Angeles doesn't look so hot right now, but if Kawhi Leonard personally decides to try and lock up Luka Doncic and succeeds, then perhaps this series isn't over and done with just yet.
But if even that doesn't work, then the Oklahoma City Thunder can start cashing some of their lottery checks earlier than they expected.
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