LA Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers is optimistic about the team’s status heading back into play.
The LA Clippers know that to compete for an NBA championship you don’t only need a wealth of talent and the right gameplan, but you also need to be lucky when it comes to health. Good news for them: the team currently has all three.
Head coach Doc Rivers recently had some optimistic words to say about the team’s health status heading into the NBA restart in Orlando. He told reporters “I think everybody’s healthy, that is a great thing. Guys were not as healthy in training camp at the beginning of this year. Now we got Paul George healthy, we have Kawhi healthy, we don’t have a guy that’s injured right now. Knock on wood. Hope that continues.”
Rivers had previously spoken about how he expected the team to return in phenomenal shape, and how the team had provided all their players with home gyms to ensure that would be the case and it seems like they did not let their head coach down.
Kawhi Leonard also talked about being both physically and mentally ready for the restart. The Clippers’ star guard said that his health was his main priority during the hiatus.
The key for the Clippers going forward will be to keep things that way.
Rivers told reporters that while there aren’t any limits on Leonard’s play, the team is going to be smart in how they handle their star guard’s role in the lead up to the playoffs.
With the Clippers currently holding the second-seed in the Western Conference, and home-court advantage out of the picture, their only concern outside of staying healthy would be their path through the NBA playoffs.
If standings stay as they are, the Clippers will play the Dallas Mavericks, currently holding the seventh seed, in the opening round of the playoffs. Should the Clippers slide to third place, the Houston Rockets currently occupy the six seed and would await them in the first round.
For now, the most important thing for the Clippers and their run to an NBA championship is staying healthy. While luck certainly comes into play, they seem to be taking all the necessary precautions to ensure things stay that way.