Leonard’s scoring helps prevent the Clippers from the season’s worst loss
Despite the LA Clippers’ losing bug over the past few weeks, two-way superstar Kawhi Leonard has been thriving in his role. Leonard is scoring, defending, and play-making on both ends of the floor, ultimately carrying the team on his back. With little help from his teammates, the Clippers’ ceiling holds a minimal ceiling.
Furthermore, while Leonard did score a season-high of 36 points against the San Antonio Spurs, he received notable contributions from multiple teammates. This clearly shows that with the ideal team around him, head coach Tyronn Lue can lead the Clippers to one of the best records in the NBA.
The former NBA champion, Norman Powell, made a remarkable impact by posting 26 points and three rebounds on 9-11 shooting. He has been playing at an all-star caliber level since finding his rhythm, backing up why he should be the leader in the Sixth Man of the Year race.
Additionally, Leonard’s superstar teammate, Paul George, filled the point guard role for LA as he dropped 12 assists and zero turnovers. This goes on top of his 16 points and team-high +16 +/- through 32 minutes of action. There will be nights when George does not need to score the ball aggressively, and this game exemplified just that.
Leonard’s offensive efforts saved the LA Clippers down the stretch.
Towards the end of the LA Clippers’ match-up against the Spurs, Kawhi Leonard matched countless buckets from San Antonio, which kept his team out in front. This would have easily been the worst loss of the season had Lue’s game plan gone entirely numb.
Furthermore, this win is something the LA Clippers must improve on rather than celebrate. Though the offense shot the ball at an efficient rate and only turned the ball over nine times, the defense gave up nearly 130 points to a bottom-five team in the Western Conference.
In addition, the LA Clippers’ lack of ‘true’ point guard play is taking away from players like George and Leonard. These two had to combine for 19 assists in order for the team to dig out a five-point victory. Games like this will only emphasize how prominent LA’s trade deadline will be, as Lue needs a reliable guard to facilitate the offense.
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That said, the LA Clippers will move forward with their season as they battle the MVP talents of Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Sunday. The biggest priority for the Clippers should be sparking a winning streak, and there is no better way to do it than against a Western Conference rival.