With Kawhi Leonard returning to full health this season, the LA Clippers are in a position to make history. Leonard’s star teammate, Paul George, has been grinding all off-season in preparation for a bounce-back season. Although the LA Clippers recently missed the playoffs, many tend to forget their momentous postseason run that occurred not too long ago.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard “feels great” and is cleared for 5-on-5 play, team president Lawrence Frank said today. Not many more specifics offered on Leonard’s preseason availability but Frank said Kawhi wants to do everything.
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) September 22, 2022
Following Leonard’s ACL injury, several media outlets have overlooked how dominant these two can be. When fully healthy, Leonard and George are, without a doubt, the best duo in all of basketball. As the regular season is underway, these two will be given the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong, once again.
Furthermore, ESPN recently released their NBA Top 100 players ahead of the 2022-23 season. At first glance, this list was extremely underwhelming. Outside of Leonard and George, no other player on the Clippers roster was spotted in the top 100.
When evaluating the grades of Leonard and George, it became clear how underrated these two had become. Within this list, George found himself at the 15th spot, ahead of Atlanta Hawks point guard, Trae Young. Additionally, Leonard was ranked as the 12th best player heading into next season, just behind Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard, James Harden. These assessments appear to be unreasonable, as Leonard and George received All-NBA and All-Star selections in 2020-21.
The LA Clippers have two top 10 NBA players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Since joining the LA Clippers, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have shown significant improvements in their game. Despite their impact on both ends of the floor, Leonard and George had weaknesses when creating plays for their teammates. Throughout their time with the Clippers, these flaws have become strengths as Leonard and George are some of the best play-making wings in the NBA.
In regards to their talent, Leonard and George are as good as they come. These two can score the ball at all three levels, facilitate a high-scoring offense, and guard the opposing team’s best player. The work ethic, leadership, and locker room presence of Leonard and George are exactly what the LA Clippers need to win it all.
Moreover, several of the players that were listed ahead of Leonard and George have accomplished nowhere near as much. This includes experience, championships, All-Star selections, All-NBA selections, All-Defensive teams, and many more. Based on just their accolades, Leonard and George should be ranked in the top 10.
In addition, Leonard and George shine through the spotlight. In the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs, Leonard averaged 30.4 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 57.3% from the field and 39.3% from the three-point line. George on the other hand, averaged 26.9 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field through 19 games. It is safe to say that when the pressure is on, Leonard and George are the perfect duo for the job.
While the ESPN Top 100 may be a list of predictions, Leonard and George deserve to be ranked much higher. In just a few months, these two will have exceeded their projections, leading the LA Clippers to one of the top seeds in the Western Conference.