Driving an eight-game profitable streak, the Los Angeles Clippers can poke enjoyable at their current historical past.
Kawhi Leonard, together with Paul George, had been considered because the epitome of the much-maligned load administration strategy taken by NBA groups in current seasons. In a story on the 2 stars by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, Leonard addressed being one of many catalysts for the participant participation coverage the NBA adopted in response to seeing too many star gamers lacking nationally televised video games with a joke after enjoying each ends of a back-to-back for the second time in per week.
“We must always sue for — what do they name it? — negligence,” the San Diego native stated.
Leonard has performed all 26 video games this season whereas George has solely missed one sport because of a sore hip. Previous to the 2023-24 marketing campaign, that they had solely performed 142 regular-season and playoff video games collectively since going to L.A. in 2019. Extra importantly for the Clippers is that James Harden, who was traded to the staff by the Philadelphia 76ers, has discovered his circulate with the duo after an unpleasant six-game dropping streak upon his arrival.
The profile total is a revealing have a look at how each Leonard and George are nonetheless combating towards the perceptions that they’re injury-prone and that they held extra affect over their enjoying statuses than staff administration. There have been additionally feedback from the staff’s president of basketball operations (and former NBA head coach) Lawrence Frank, who defended the gamers from the overwhelming criticism.
Leonard instructed Youngmisuk that his accidents did not simply snowball when he got here to the Clippers, however had been an accumulation of points going again to his days with the San Antonio Spurs. Now, he is lastly getting again to his higher self, a participant who was as soon as thought of the most effective two-way expertise within the league:
“It was years attempting to get by that wall,” Leonard stated of getting himself again so far after a win on the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 29. “I have been coping with this proper knee damage for some time, since 2016-17. Even going by the Raptors’ run, that being my first 12 months going to date [again] simply put one other toll on it.
“Now, I really feel good popping out of video games, and I do not really feel any [pain]. So, I simply need to preserve going, and that is my purpose is simply to remain wholesome, and the remaining will play itself out.”
With its present win streak, Los Angeles has catapulted to the sixth seed within the Western Convention with a 16-10 file, forward of the New Orleans Pelicans and their co-tenants at Crypto.com Enviornment, the Lakers. Because the season wears on, it would not come as an entire shock if the Clippers strive some lesser type of load administration regardless of the great well being and vibes round Leonard and George.
