In December and January, the Los Angeles Clippers were arguably the hottest team in the NBA, but since then, they have hit a rough patch.
They have won just seven of their last 15 games, and they have been dealing with injuries, as Russell Westbrook and now Kawhi Leonard are out with hand and back injuries, respectively.
Leonard suffered his back ailment on Tuesday in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game in which the Clippers blew a 22-point lead and got run over, 118-100.
ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins said that Leonard’s availability will, in his opinion, be the difference between a first-round exit and a real shot at the NBA championship, via NBA on ESPN.
“Without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers are a first-round exit, in my opinion … With Kawhi Leonard, they actually could go on and win a championship.”@kendrickperkins on the Clippers’ potential with a healthy Kawhi. pic.twitter.com/gDJsjv5ltX
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 13, 2024
As Perkins alluded to, fellow Clippers stars Paul George and James Harden have a history of being unreliable and underperforming in the playoffs, and Westbrook doesn’t have the greatest postseason resume himself.
However, Leonard is a two-time world champion and NBA Finals MVP, and when he’s healthy, many still consider him one of the 10 or even five-best players in basketball.
On the season, he’s averaging 23.7 points a game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from 3-point range, and he’s one of a handful of stars who can also lock down their opposition on the defensive end.
Leonard has been injury-prone for a long time and has notoriously sat out games when seemingly healthy for load management, but this season, he has appeared in 58 of a possible 64 contests.
The Clippers are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference, and they won’t have an easy road to the NBA Finals, as they would play the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended right now.
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