The motivation for every team in the Play-In Tournament is to make it out and keep the window open to make a surprising run to the NBA Finals. This is a common goal, where they then worry about trades, free agency, and the draft once the season is over. However, that’s not the case for the LA Clippers. They are pressured to win for their own aspirations, as well as to prevent the Oklahoma City Thunder from landing a lottery pick in June, a reason no one else can relate to.
This was briefly highlighted on ‘The Hoop Collective,’ and as reality sets in, Clipper Nation is hoping, with all of their heart, that LA wins two in a row to stop the Thunder from possibly becoming even better than they already are.
It won’t be easy, with the Golden State Warriors on schedule, but the Clippers have to make it happen just to ironically face off with the Thunder in the first round.
The Clippers will be laughed at endlessly if the Thunder end up in the lottery
Fans of the LA Clippers, who have already been through a lot regarding the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade, have already been through a lot. They have heard, nonstop for years, how bad a move it was, and if the Clippers don’t find a way to win out of the Play-In Tournament, expect the noise to become louder than ever.
This doesn’t help one bit, as fans would still be wrapping their heads around the fact that the Clippers’ season is over and that they would have to wait until October to watch regular-season basketball, likely led by a completely different group.
The worst part is that once the Oklahoma City Thunder are confirmed to be in the lottery, there is a possibility they could end up selecting relatively high, which is dangerous territory, as there are countless extremely talented names.
It would be so hard to imagine a Thunder organization that was the first seed in the Western Conference for three consecutive seasons, rostering a future star like Brayden Burries, Yaxel Lendeborg, or someone of that caliber.
Of course, if the Clippers win, the Thunder will be just out of the top 14, where they have surprisingly not hit any home runs yet over the years.
As a result, the Clippers, and particularly Kawhi Leonard, must put on a series of masterclass performances with millions anxious to see where the Thunder will be picking.
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