Los Angeles Clippers: An Overlooked Team?

?Los Angeles Clippers: An Overlooked Team.

This is not clickbait! The Clippers could be one of the best teams in the West, but it seems like nobody is talking about it. Also, Paul George left for the Sixers to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Which has left Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to run the show. That is the craziest part of it. The fact that nobody is taking the duo of two future Hall of Famers seriously is mind-blowing. It seems like LA fans or NBA fans do not trust Kawhi to stay healthy or Harden to step up when it matters. Now, with a new arena, this could mark a new era. An era of having a chance to win a title. With the new talent, they brought in. The Clippers could be one of those tough teams in the West.

James Harden got his extension. Which he has wanted since his time with the Nets and Sixers. He is playing for his home team along with playing with his peer Kawhi Leonard. Along with role players like Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac, who have been great for LA. Norman Powell is one of the best sixth man for the past few years. While the Clippers lost a future Hall of Famer, they have done a good job filling in these holes. With the signing of Derrick Jones Jr., who is coming off of a finals run. Kris Dunn is a good backup point guard. And Nicolas Batum is a good veteran. Due to cap space, teams are now investing in 3&D players. Guys who can play defense and hit some threes. The decision to let go of their star players hurt, but at the end, you need flexibility.

The Clippers have a lot of good defenders this upcoming season. Signing a bunch of role players who can play off of their two franchise stars. James Harden does not look like anything close to his prime. Many have written him off for the past few seasons. This season, he can show the league he's a borderline star. The expectations for Harden should not be for him to play elite basketball like he did in the late 2010s. But we should hope he becomes a good shooter and playmaker for the Clippers. He needs to improve his off-the-dribble game.

The hope of Kawhi Leonard should be that he stays healthy. Since the bubble, Kawhi has not played in the post-season due to getting hurt. His season ends every year in the first or second round of the postseason. Since 2019, he has been on rest and not playing back-to-back, but it doesn't seem to work anymore. Even though he played 68 games last season, the most he had played since 2017, injuries still resulted. Now, with the roster filled with elite role players, there is more pressure on Kawhi to perform. He needs to step up and lead the team to success.

Guys like Derrick Jones Jr. fit well with the Clippers. Along with Mo Bamba, who is a good off-the-bench big, and Kriss Dunn, who can play some defense. But it doesn't matter if Harden isn't an All-Star point guard or if Kawhi isn't healthy. This is LA's last lifeline. With health issues, it makes it tough for the team to compete. The Timberwolves, Pelicans, and Kings improved this off-season. So, it will be tough for the Clippers to be a top team. LA could be a top-three seed or a play-in team. It depends on Harden's regression and Kawhi Leonard's health.

Follow @SyedNBABlogs on Twitter for NBA Content!