A small fraction of the season has not even been completed, as tonight marks game nine of 82, yet the LA Clippers have had troubles with cohesion, and injuries have been a part of it. Bradley Beal has already missed three games, Kawhi Leonard is set to miss his third straight, and even James Harden missed one. Thus, the Clippers have won the annual award dished out by critics, once again: on-paper champions.
Furthermore, the Clippers have five losses, and in three of them, the injury report included one or a combination of Beal, Leonard, or Harden. So, in the two that LA had everyone playing, what happened?
The first was the season-opener, a humbling loss, and the other was a one-point defeat to the Miami Heat, which included a clutch defensive possession by Ivica Zubac but also a missed game-winner from Leonard.
That said, the Clippers’ excuse for most of their disappointing performances has been injuries, as it has been every other year. NBA critics saw it coming in the summer, and less than a month into the season, their opinions have been supported.
The criticism of the Clippers will not be proven wrong until Kawhi Leonard comes back
Every game, the same issues persist, or new ones arise, and nothing will change with Kawhi Leonard on the sidelines. Last season, the LA Clippers were able to win without him because they were prepared for him to be out indefinitely.
Yet, Leonard’s rolled ankle, which was elevated to an ankle sprain, happened when the Clippers least expected it. In fact, even after the injury, he was moving well enough to play the last two minutes, handle the ball on the last possession, and attempt the final shot for the lead and victory.
Leonard is supposed to be day-to-day, but the medical staff has not released an official timetable for his return.
Moreover, it is virtually impossible to make everything right when the face of the franchise had to unexpectedly take a few absences to recover from an injury. So, when he returns, head coach Tyronn Lue will be better able to tackle the team’s setbacks.
Nonetheless, the critics may have been right, yet now they have set the Clippers on a mission to prove them wrong by the middle of the season. Therefore, the corner is still expected to be turned, and it could come after patience and commitment.