Wings
What was once the LA Clippers’ weakness is now their strongest position, boasting two of the game’s elite two-way stars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the same roster. Outside of those two, there are still plenty of solid players that can contribute at a high level as well.
Paul George
If there was a wing that the LA Clippers were expected to add in the offseason, it was Kawhi Leonard. And even then, those chances appeared slimmer and slimmer as each day went on. Paul George didn’t enter the picture until Leonard had agreed to a deal with the Clippers, and in that moment, plenty of fans were too excited to realize what was truly going on.
George was an MVP candidate this past season, and the campaign he put together is seriously worth talking about. The 29-year-old averaged a career-best 28.0 points per game in his second full season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and recorded an average 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals on top of that.
A scoring threat from all over the floor, George and Leonard will help each other load manage while co-starring as the kryptonite to the Los Angeles Lakers’ pairing of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Maurice Harkless
Although the move will now be viewed as the lesser of the two trades the LA Clippers made during free agency, the addition of Maurice Harkless on this roster is an important one that can’t be overstated.
A gritty defender that matches perfectly with the Clippers’ identity, Harkless can play any role the team asks of him. He’s perfectly capable of starting at either forward position if/when Kawhi Leonard or Paul George need to load manage, and he should fit in nicely with the second unit as a defensive stopper and scoring threat.
One thing to monitor in the new season will be his three-point percentage. An impressive 41.5 percent clip in 2017-2018 dropped all the way down to 27.5 this past season, so getting his outside shot to fall consistently would be a key development.
Kawhi Leonard
A feat which at times felt like it was definitely happening and at others felt completely impossible, the LA Clippers managed to add two-way star and reigning NBA Champion Kawhi Leonard to their roster — which, alone, likely would have made the Clippers a legitimate title contender for the next few seasons.
Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the game, if not the best. If you need any evidence of that, just look at his latest postseason performance in which he averaged 30.5 points per game and contained superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo in the process.
There’s talk that Leonard could be the best player in basketball right now, and when it’s all said and done, he could end up being one of the all-time greats. It’s hard to put to words how much this signing truly means for the Clippers.
Terance Mann
The NBA Draft feels like it was ages ago at this point, so it’s easy to forget that the LA Clippers were able to grab some seriously talented players with their two selections.
Terance Mann went to LA as the 48th overall pick in the draft, and like Maurice Harkless and so many others mentioned already here, he’s a perfect fit with the team’s identity. Playable at the shooting guard and small forward positions, Mann offers versatility on both ends of the floor and a much-improved three-point shot. He did a little bit of everything at Florida State University, averaging 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his senior season.
Chances are, Mann will spend a decent chunk of his time playing for the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, and depending on how well he plays there, he could find himself moving up the chain in no time.
Rodney McGruder
The LA Clippers never got to see Rodney McGruder suit up in their uniform last season, thanks to a rule that kept him from becoming eligible for the postseason. But the team obviously liked what they saw of him while he played for the Miami Heat, and thought it was enough to warrant signing him to a three-year deal worth $15 million.
Again, McGruder is another identity fit — he’s as scrappy as the rest of them, and while his three-point shot needs some work, he’s still a solid scorer all over the rest of the floor and is capable of defending point guards to small forwards.
Look for McGruder to take on a role similar to the one Garrett Temple had while he was playing in a Clippers uniform this past season.