In one of the recent episodes of Bill Simmons’ podcast, sports and media personality Max Kellerman joined in on the latest NBA buzz, hottest takes, and most importantly for fans of the LA Clippers, facts and opinions on the past and present, including the importance of ball handling in the era of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
However, a fact about their time as a duo that still stands out is that the front office urged players other than the duo, capable of dribbling, to do the work from the top of the floor to the half-court. This was done to save George and Leonard’s stamina and give them ample time to hunt the isolation mismatch they craved.
Thus, Kellerman mentions that the Clippers never had a true primary ball handler. The entire time, Leonard and George took care of duties they did not have to, which evidently affected their chances to make the NBA Finals.
An efficient ball-handling threat was one of the pieces LA needed in the Kawhi and PG era
Max Kellerman makes a clear distinction between those who can handle the ball and those who should. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, as a high-end superstar duo, could have done all the dribbling themselves. Would they be fatigued, physically drained, and worn out? Yes, but that is their role on maximum contracts.
Conversely, Leonard and George should never have had this task. The type of player that needed it, Chris Paul, was signed to the roster too late, and still with Leonard, his re-try with the LA Clippers was brief.
LA will say they tried with Rajon Rondo and John Wall. They were two point guards who solved the complaint on budget-friendly contracts, so what was the issue?
Well, the Clippers found that both were aging offensive liabilities. This is why neither tenure lasted more than 34 games. Therefore, these additions saved Leonard and George from dribbling, yet drew more double teams their way.
While Leonard and George never achieved multiple completed postseasons together, health-wise, Paul’s presence in handling ball-handling pressure, driven by his IQ, could have rescued them from severe stress.
The superstar duo felt the heat from defenses, and to Kellerman’s point, they were two-way guys who needed someone in their prime with a defined role to take the Clippers out of the first round and into the second, third, and final stages of the postseason.