In the summer of 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers shocked the NBA world by signing two of the most feared two-way players: two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard and perennial All-Star Paul George. When news of the partnership broke, the Clippers were almost immediately installed as the favorites to win it all.
Five years have passed since that franchise milestone, and history shows that the Clippers never won anything during that stretch. And save for a run toward the Western Conference Finals in 2021, those Kawhi Leonard-Paul George years have been an utter disappointment.
Injury-riddled campaigns
On paper, Kawhi and PG had everything they needed to win at least one title. They had one of the best coaches in Ty Lue, and a capable supporting cast that included Ivica Zubac, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and Lou Williams. However, it was not meant to be, as Kawhi got injured in the playoffs, and the Clippers eventually faltered against the Phoenix Suns.
"To have only gotten to one Western Conference Final appearance out of the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George duo's five-year run is an utter disappointment," Mo Dakhil of Bleacher Report wrote.
From bad to worse
It was all downhill from there, as not even adding a third legitimate superstar, James Harden, to their fold last season could change the team's fortunes. Kawhi again got hobbled by a knee injury, and the Dallas Mavericks handed LA's other squad the door in the first round.
"The tandem of Leonard and George was supposed to turn the Clippers into regular contenders, but that never manifested. Over the last three seasons, George played 31 games in 2021-22, 56 in 2022-23, and 74 in 2023-24 (the most in his Clipper tenure)," Dakhil added. "Leonard did not fare much better, missing the entire '20-21 season with an ACL injury and playing 52 games in '22-23. Last year, Leonard played 68 games but got hurt during the playoffs."
However, hope floats for the Clippers and their fans. Despite losing PG in free agency, the Clippers have a few things to be hopeful about. They will play at their home arena, the state-of-the-art Intuit Dome, and acquire numerous solid role players led by Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, and Kris Dunn.
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