With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back on the team again, the Clippers didn’t usher in a full corps as expected. Instead, they messed up several games that shouldn’t be missed. In the highly competitive Western District, several issues also surfaced.
If Kawhi Leonard doesn’t come back…
In the three games he returned, Leonard averaged 14.3 points, 7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His overall shooting percentage was just 37.2% and the three-point line was just 21. ,4%.Kawhi Leonard will never come back?
I’m not a doctor, so it’s hard to analyze Leonard’s actual state of recovery from on-court performance, let alone predict the future, but the obvious fact is that Leonard is far from past All-Star ability. Perhaps be a little more optimistic and you can expect a gradual recovery after staying healthy, but fans still need to be mentally prepared. After a long recovery period and the Clippers’ current load control, expecting Leonard to replicate peak playoff performance 19-21, averaging 40 minutes a game, 30 points, and 50% shooting, I’m afraid it’s a little too optimistic.
However, what Leonard can do with his reduced strength, and what the Clippers should do in the future, will be matters that can be discussed in the near term. Judging by the current small champion, Leonard’s single defense and mobility have not yet returned to the fullest, but the defensive concept is still in place, and at the right time he appears in the most reasonable position, he can also play in the fourth position to assist the rebound protection, which is helpful The Clippers have restarted the formation of small balls. Although he is not very good on the outside and is more cautious in physical confrontation when he enters, he can still help his teammates in all aspects. Not only did he win the game from the middle distance against the Hornets, but he also organized layups key and assist in the game against the Wizards.
Leonard is still improving the combat power of the speedboat in all respects. For example, some netizens have jokingly exemplified “Leonard is now the Draymond Green of the speedboat version”. This probably isn’t what the Clippers and fans were expecting, and it will cause a major blow to fighting power.
The Clippers’ struggling performance so far this season shouldn’t cause people to pay attention to the mid-season trades ahead. The current team has some trading tokens, including Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, BJ Boston, Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, etc., as well as the 2029 first draft pick can be included in the transaction. lineup is not too much to ask.
Recalling how abruptly Blake Griffin was traded in 2018, you can also imagine how Leonard will affect the Clippers’ subsequent trade. The most prudent is to believe that he will recover his skills, continue to fight for the championship this season and choose the most suitable reinforcement position (such as center). However, if Leonard cannot come close to his previous skills, George must still bear more The team can make mistakes The space has also been reduced.
Unable to let Kawhi Leonard take the risk, ‘rotation dilemma’ facing Los Angeles Clippers
If Leonard’s record and recovery status are still not optimistic mid-season, and he insists on getting results this season, he may have to seek a large-scale transaction and try to get a near star player of the next tier to offset the its fighting power. Even a little more pessimistic, the Clippers can step back and look forward to next season, hoping Leonard can regain his skills over the summer break, and switch to a veteran as the primary trade package to increase the players’ playing time. Young The Clippers also hold the 2023 first-round right pick (he can’t be traded, and the Thunder have the right to trade).
-Robert Covington on the bench
Covington was to be a key player in the Clippers. He also signed a new two-year contract in the summer. His outstanding performance at the end of last season is still fresh in his memory. He has been on the bench many times this season and doesn’t have stable playing time. The Ty Lue scheduling controversy has never stopped this season. In fairness, Covington’s poor shooting selection earlier in the season is also the reason. At one time, the Clippers suffered a poor offense. However, with the team’s spate of injuries, they’ve played well, but haven’t had time to play yet. , and the game picks in the last two games are also after BJ Boston.
“The Athletic” Clippers reporter Law Murray believes the Clippers definitely need Covington to play in the playoffs, but he’s now billed as an “11th man,” so unless the two stars shut down, it’s going to be tough. getting playing time in the regular season. In addition, he is more suitable for the 4th position itself, and the effect of the center of play is not as good as Batum. It also caused Covington’s playing space to be further compressed after Terance Mann returned to the central rotation, and many guards have had to share the second position this season.
