Whereas some could view Saturday’s first-round collection elimination to the Denver Nuggets as a failure for the Los Angeles Clippers, it was something however.
Earlier than the beginning of the season in October, the general public was predominantly out on the Clippers, believing the lack of Paul George, the additional decline of James Harden and the uncertainty of Kawhi Leonard would depart the crew outdoors of the postseason — play-in included.
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Nicely, jokes on them, as a result of the Clippers spent the yr increase one of many league’s greatest defenses, placing Regular Powell in a task the place he flourished as an nearly star, and as for Harden? Nicely, he had a resurgence at 35, which dramatically helped the Clippers flip across the narrative.
All that mentioned, the Clippers would not have gotten this far with out the play of heart Ivica Zubac.
His 16.8 factors and 12.6 rebounds per recreation and talent to anchor an elite protection was a significant key for Los Angeles to squeeze out video games, even ones they weren’t purported to be in.
Having a middle who might routinely rating on the rim on one finish and use his overwhelming physicality to close down opposing gamers on the rim on the opposite unsurprisingly turned out to be a significant boon.
Regardless of the ending, James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers had a nice season. (AP Photograph/David Zalubowski)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
After all, Leonard options right here as properly.
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Nobody actually knew if he’d play a lot this season, nor did anybody know what model of him could be on the ground.
Seems, Leonard is precisely the identical as we bear in mind him. He is one of many hardest gamers within the NBA, and one of the exact and elementary shot-creators we have ever seen.
Within the collection in opposition to Denver, Leonard was as soon as once more a mid-range maestro, creating troublesome pictures out of skinny air and making them with out the ball touching the rim.
For a participant who hasn’t been absolutely wholesome within the postseason for years, his play served as a reminder of simply how good he’s, and why he must be thought-about within the highest echelon of elite gamers within the league.
Here is what to know in regards to the Clippers heading into the offseason, as they try to construct on a profitable season:
2024-25 end
File: 50-32, fifth within the Western Convention. Misplaced to the Denver Nuggets in seven video games within the first spherical.
Spotlight of the season
Nov. 4 at dwelling in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs, coincidentally a recreation that was coated by Yahoo Sports activities. The Spurs had been up 40-14 after the primary quarter, completely dominating each side of the ground. The overwhelming majority of groups would have folded, however the Clippers dug deep and clawed their manner again, through dialed-up protection and an emphasis on 3-pointers, to win 113-104. This confirmed everybody that they had one other gear, and it was the second they compelled the league to take them critically.
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The sensation within the enviornment modified over the course of the sport, from a fan loudly yelling, “The Clippers are nonetheless the Clippers!” in the course of the primary quarter, to that very same man fortunately letting the row he was sitting in ridicule him once they made the comeback, at one level noting, “By no means thought I might see that!” in utter bewilderment.
Gamers signed for subsequent season
Kawhi LeonardNorman PowellBogdan BogdanovićIvica ZubacDerrick Jones Jr.Kris DunnKobe BrownCam Christie
Key free brokers
James Harden (Participant Possibility)Nicolas Batum (Participant Possibility)Amir Coffey (UFA)Ben Simmons (UFA)
Projected wage
$124,641,415 (wage cap projected to be $154.6 million)
Draft picks
Nos. 30 & 51
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Draft focus: The Clippers are getting up there in age, so it would not damage to swing massive on the best upside guys left on the board, no matter place. A stash decide would not be the worst thought, as rookies aren’t more likely to play a lot subsequent season.
Even when Harden picks up his participant choice, the Clippers ought to have entry to the total Non-Tax MLE. The luxurious tax is estimated to land at $187.9 million, which means there’d even be choices to re-sign Coffey.
Wants and targets
Absolutely, the Clippers hope to be higher subsequent season, and in an effort to do this, it will be sensible to discover a guard who might persistently rating off the dribble and take some strain off Harden, with out relinquishing defensive depth.
