Ever since the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, fans around the league have counted the Clippers amongst the association’s upper echelon of teams. However, due to injuries, sheer bad luck, and a litany of other factors, the club has yet to truly contend for a championship with their dynamic duo.
Instead, the farthest the Clippers have advanced in the playoffs with their current core is the Western Conference Finals in 2021, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns.
It’s not for lack of talent that the Clippers haven’t won a title. But the injuries that hit George and Leonard during their stint together have caused the team’s roster to seemingly always be “a man short”.
And with such a top heavy lineup, being a man short has led to less than desirable outcomes on the court for the Clippers faithful.
Westbrook’s Arrival Adds More Depth
The Clippers recently added Russell Westbrook to the picture after the latter agreed to a buyout deal with the Utah Jazz. Westbrook was previously traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Utah as part of a multi-team deadline trade.
In 56 regular-season games this season, Westbrook has averaged 15.8 points, 7.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and a steal. Not exactly the usual eye-popping numbers we’ve grown accustomed to with Russ but they’re welcome additions for a team that’s looking to move on from a forgettable stint with John Wall.
Westbrook’s arrival added depth to the guard rotation for head coach Ty Lue. Many were of the opinion that playing alongside LeBron James diminished Westbrook’s value as one of the NBA’s more electrifying point guards. With the Clippers, he could return to his old self with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Paul George at his side.
If Westbrook comes off the bench for the Clippers, he’ll be an added boost for the team alongside seasoned veterans Eric Gordon, Norman Powell, Nic Batum, and Mason Plumlee. On paper, these five could be a starting five elsewhere.
That being said, even in the limited sample size, we’re already seeing some of the limitations for the LA offense when Westbrook is on the floor.
With teams essentially daring Westbrook to shoot the ball from beyond the arc, the Clippers will need to find creative ways to generate buckets when their starters are sitting. The 34 year old is currently shooting a paltry 29.5% from 3. A figure which has actually gotten worse (28.6%) since walking across the hallway at Crypto.com Arena.
More Depth Equals A Championship?
The Clippers are square in the mix for a playoff berth in the Western Conference at 33-32. And they’ve done it despite Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sitting out large stretches of games due to injuries.
However with 4 losses in a row, LA can’t get too comfortable as the 13th place Thunder are only 3.5 games back of them at the moment. The margin for error isn’t nearly as large as some out West hoped it would be by this time of the season.
With the additions of Westbrook, Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon, and Mason Plumlee, the Clippers now have depth behind their two stars. However, getting them all to gel on court is no slam dunk, as there’s only so many touches to go around, and LA is currently sporting numerous players used to playing ball dominant roles.
This July will mark 4 years since Kawhi signed with the Clippers. And if the club has another early round exit in the postseason, then fans are well within their rights to view the acquisition of Kawhi and George as an abject failure.
The honeymoon is over. It’s time for Kawhi and company to prove why Los Angeles mortgaged their future to bet on this core group of players. The depth is there. The West is wide open. All that’s left is to put it all together.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.