The LA Clippers 2021 calendar year didn’t go about as well as we all wanted it to, but there were certainly its high moments.
While the Clips aren’t having the year we were hoping for, it’s still worth reflecting on the best moments from the franchise in 2021.
And there were quite a bit of bright spots for what this squad gave the fans this year. It of course starts with the game where we officially found our new budding star:
No. 3 greatest memory for LA Clippers in 2021: The official arrival of Terance Mann
LA Clippers fans all knew how good Terance Mann was, but the rest of the basketball community wasn’t quite up to speed yet. Mann introduced himself to the world as one of the future stars of this league. In Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Mann was asked to start for the second game in a row with Kawhi Leonard still out.
Mann excelled in his Game 5 start, but took it to another level in Game 6. In what turned out to be the series finale, Mann put up 39 points on an amazing 15 of 21 shooting, and an even better seven of ten from deep. Recording two steals on defense, Mann ended up proving how well-rounded and valuable he is to a team.
He played so well that Stephen A. Smith of ESPN even said that the Clippers no longer need Kawhi. That was ridiculous, of course, but goes to show how impressive Mann was when he was needed most.