The most popular workforce within the NBA was left for useless across the holidays, trying previous and gradual with a window as a contender seemingly closed.
Barely a month later, the Clippers have managed to turn into the comeback story of the 12 months. And but getting that revival to finish feel-good standing stays a piece in progress.
Drama enveloped the Clippers early. In October, the NBA started to research a report that the workforce had circumvented the wage cap by compensating star ahead Kawhi Leonard via an outdoor sponsorship deal. The investigation continues.
By early December, their reunion with former star Chris Paul soured and he was despatched residence from a street journey with the workforce not having a use for his companies. Paul’s locker stays however sits empty every recreation evening.
On the courtroom, it was much more embarrassing. The Clippers gained simply six occasions over their first 27 video games, with 10 of these video games coming with out Leonard due to extra damage points. Whereas knee ache has railroaded Leonard lately, he was slowed by foot and ankle ache this 12 months.
When the Clippers misplaced 121-101 at Oklahoma Metropolis on Dec. 18, they had been on a five-game dropping streak with losses in 10 of their final 11 video games. What adopted subsequent was unbelievable.
On Dec. 20, Clippers blogger and podcaster Robert Flom was at his wit’s finish. “In the event that they go 15-3 in any stretch this season I’ll print and eat this tweet,” Flom posted to X.
Leonard has stated he didn’t know something concerning the tweet, at the same time as followers within the rowdy “The Wall” part of the two-year-old Intuit Dome chanted “Eat the tweet” final week. However Leonard positive performed like a person on a mission.
Beginning with their 103-88 victory over the cross-town Los Angeles Lakers shortly after the tweet appeared, the Clippers not solely went on a 15-3 run — they added a sixteenth victory within the stretch with a 115-103 win at Utah on Tuesday.
As soon as determined for victories, Tuesday’s overcome the Jazz was about revenge. In spite of everything, the Clippers’ early-season mess began with an uncompetitive 129-108 loss at Utah on opening evening.
From hopeless to vengeful, all in a brief time frame, is the arc of cinema.
A 6-21 begin appeared just like the sign to tank and maximize their first-round draft decide. However the Clippers didn’t have that possibility. The champion Thunder personal L.A.’s first-round decide following the unfulfilling Paul George commerce earlier than the 2019-20 season.
Making issues worse is that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander additionally went to the Thunder within the deal.
This season, the Clippers really don’t have anything to lose for.
With Leonard again to full energy, the sport plan from head coach Tyronn Lue was to lean into the six-time All-Star like by no means earlier than. On protection, a frenetic new method — whereas taking part in with out huge man Ivica Zubac for a stretch — woke up the workforce.
Leonard’s recreation has at all times operated with a team-wide method. Positive, he scored, however he was simply as inclined to get others concerned. Even with the Clippers, whereas taking part in alongside James Harden and Zubac, Leonard had been simply as keen to move as to attain.
A faster tempo on offense now has Leonard main the cost. His 8.6 makes an attempt from three-point vary over the workforce’s current run of success is nicely above his 4.3 profession mark and his 6.0 quantity over his first 17 video games of the season.
Since Dec. 20, Leonard is scoring 31.1 factors per recreation. It has him as much as 27.9 on the season, forward of his 27.1 mark in 2019-20 when he first joined the Clippers and his 21.2 mark in 2015-16 with the San Antonio Spurs, when he completed second in MVP voting.
Harden has settled into 19.3 factors per recreation since Dec. 20 because the workforce’s secondary scoring menace. It’s under his season common of 25.4 factors. He has additionally improved to three.3 turnovers a recreation in the course of the run, versus 3.9 over his first 25 video games.
Now comes the laborious half. The Clippers should not younger. Solely just lately have contemporary faces like Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders and Yanic Konan Niederhauser been requested to make important contributions. Younger vitality has been refreshing.
However the veterans make it go. Can Leonard, at 34, maintain delivering with a heavy load? Can Harden, at 36, proceed to run the offense? Zubac remains to be 28, however three-point menace Nico Batum is 37.
Nearly at .500 for the primary time this season, the Clippers will proceed to press their luck and step on the gasoline. They haven’t any different alternative.
And for the document, Flom printed the tweet and ate it Monday throughout an episode of the Clips N Dip podcast, even after Leonard doubted the well being advantages.
