On Wednesday morning, the sun had risen, the birds were chirping, and allegations had been released on Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers. Fans of the franchise, which was supposed to have a historical season, now had their hearts racing, as the consequences of the situation, once the investigation is finished, could vary.
Furthermore, the Clippers should be preparing for the worst possible outcome, even if that may be far from what could actually happen. This means beginning the regular season without Leonard in the rotation until the clear is given from Adam Silver.
Thus, James Harden would be moved up to being the first option, which is not a nightmare. He made the All-NBA third team as the primary guy until January, and still dominated until a beautiful Sunday evening against the Golden State Warriors.
Chaos begins with Harden’s help and the co-star, Bradley Beal. He has never been a second option in his career, as Beal was moved from first to third in his transition from the Washington Wizards to the Phoenix Suns, and everyone knows how underwhelming he was with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
That said, Beal will have to scale up as an offensive weapon for the Clippers, then drop back into a different role when Leonard returns, which could be a bit of excessive adjusting that he may not perform well with, causing pieces to fall apart in LA.
The LA Clippers’ title hopes next season rest on the shoulders of Bradley Beal and the possibility of his increased role
Bradley Beal signed up to play for the LA Clippers in a pressure-free role, possibly off the bench, where his reputation and value could be renovated. But with Kawhi Leonard in a potentially troubling situation, Beal’s world flipped, and he now has eyes watching him, just as they did when he was with the Phoenix Suns.
Beal can still produce offensively. This is a fact, not a biased opinion held by Clippers fans, as at his worst, the three-time All-Star averaged 17.0 points per game, shooting 49.7% from the floor.
Conversely, the Clippers are terrified of the idea that they need Beal to stay healthy, and then accept and adapt to a role of lesser responsibility when Leonard hears the game announcer introduce him for his 14th season.
Optimistically, Beal can add a unique first season in LA with drastic changes that could improve his stock if he succeeds without Leonard and approaches this fresh challenge as an opportunity.