The LA Clippers have an excellent opportunity to put a cherry on top of a great NBA regular season during the final 25 games of the year!
The NBA released the Clippers’ full 2019-2020 schedule today and, as expected, it is full of many surprises. Here is the full schedule released by the NBA:
The 2019-20 @LAClippers schedule #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/Zg1evatIxD
— Ryan Snellings (RS25) (@rsnellings25) August 12, 2019
With the Western Conference being more unpredictable and top-heavy than ever before, the Clippers are in for a challenging regular season. Even though the long 82 game road will take its toll on the team, it’s nice to know that the final stretch will not be extremely challenging. During the regular season, the health of the Clippers’ two top stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, will be a top priority. Last year, Kawhi started in 60 regular season games. Missing twenty-two games helped Kawhi be rested and prepared for the playoffs, where he led the Toronto Raptors to their franchises first ever NBA championship.
It’s a safe bet to say Kawhi will be ready for the 2020 playoffs as well, considering the weakness of the final stretch before the playoffs. The teams the Clippers will face during this stretch have a combined 47 % winning percentage throughout last year, excluding playoffs. The schedule is weaker than it may seem, although the teams have an average winning percentage of slightly below 500. Teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers lost stars via trade or free agency.
Powerhouses in the league will also be attempting to rest key players at this time. The NBA is a star driven league, and in order to succeed in the playoffs stars need to be healthy. Obviously, sitting major stars will greatly hurt any team’s chances of winning. The Lakers, a team projected to make the playoffs last season, missed out on the fun arguably due to an injury to their star, Lebron James. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the health of superstars.
Sitting Kawhi or Paul will hurt the team’s chances. However, the Clippers have a surplus of depth. Players such as Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet, Lou Will, and Patrick Beverley are all capable of handling business without a “star” on the roster. Last season the Clippers 48 wins proved that heart, hustle, and solid coaching can take NBA teams by surprise. The Clippers can rely on these players to step up when Kawhi, Paul, or even Lou need some rest. Staggering the days each player sits against weaker teams will ensure the Clips still have enough firepower on the court to have full confidence.
Who knows? Maybe Kawhi and Paul will be 100 % rested and healthy at the time and will not need to sit at all. Kawhi and Paul were both a bit shaken up during the grueling season, with the later having to undergo shoulder surgery. Paul George is expected to make a full recovery, even though there is a possibility of him missing time during the first few weeks of the season.
If both are fully healthy and want to play during the home stretch, they can help close out what has the potential to be a phenomenal season. Although health is important, playoff seeding is also valuable. The weakness of the schedule can lead to the Clippers finishing strong and, hopefully, solidifying their spot atop of the Western Conference standings.