Luka Doncic and its Dallas Mavericks They culminated their personal revenge with Los Angeles Clipperscondemning the eternal runners-up of the Californian city to end their season… and begin the doubts.
The team has finished a season that was even exciting at times in a terrible way. It was difficult for the Harden gear to adapt to his teammates, but once the pieces fit, the team led by Tyronn Lue was a machine capable of winning nine consecutive games at the end of December. Paul George He was once again that two-way player on par with the best names in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard he found reliability (both in the game and in his physique), James Harden successfully implemented the ‘Hardensystem’ and even Russell Westbrook He was playing again like the basketball player he was in his time with the Thunder, nothing to do with his most recent version solely focused on making himself seen no matter what.
Brodie, this is over Alex Molina
But as fate would have it, the last victim of that victorious streak was the Dallas Mavericks, who not only managed to win the series despite having the home court factor against them, but they did so by taking the last two games with great solvency.
The shadows
It seems like Groundhog Day and may even sound like an excuse, but injuries have once again been the Clippers’ problem. The knee of Kawhi Leonard He said goodbye at the worst possible moment, turning the playoffs into an ordeal that, luckily for everyone, only lasted six games. Kawhi’s quality, always subject to the state of his ligaments and joints of his imposing but at the same time fragile body, is indisputable. He has averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season, great numbers but they are the worst of his time in Los Angeles, since he averages 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in the four campaigns he has run in California. The problem? The usual. Leonard missed 12 of the Clippers’ final 14 games between the end of the regular season and their first-round playoff series due to problems with his right knee. He was able to play two games against the Dallas Mavericks, but in the third game it became clear that something was wrong, leaving a dismal 257 out of 433 possible games, including playoffs, in his record with the Clippers.
Mandatory, Paul George He is also partly to blame. He does not have the alibi of physical problems, he has simply disappeared, or rather diluted, a trend that he has been carrying for years. Before, he was one of the most feared outside players in the entire NBA, a player capable of scoring everywhere on the court and also decisive behind. Now, a player with more name than numbers and who avoids any type of responsibility and leadership. 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists on average in the six games against the Mavs, good numbers for anyone who is not called upon to lead his team in a playoff for the ring.
And the others? James Harden It seems that it is no longer there to be differential, Russell Westbrook He is in casting mode looking for a place to drop dead after consummating another failure on a personal level (from starter to substitute to end up putting on regrettable shows) and the rest… it’s not that Ivica Zubac, PJ Tucker on Mason Plumlee They are factors to take into account, neither for better nor for worse.
The doubts
The main problem is that it does not seem that the situation is going to improve in the short term, neither due to ideas nor room for maneuver. The bet on Kawhi and George was total and it is not that players of the caliber of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were lost along the way, The thing is that the team was mortgaged for a long time.
Leonard is already fixed until the 2026-27 season in exchange for 153 million. The continuous option is the most probable at this point (it does not seem that there is a plan B), but curves could come that would blow up what little remains of the project is in the air. Everything seems to indicate that Westbrook will leave since the team will not execute the option year that is in his contract. Harden is an unrestricted free agent, while George has a player option for 2024-25 for $48.8 million. If he rejects it, he would also be a free agent with complete freedom, an option that cannot be ruled out since the Clippers have Kawhi Leonard as their undisputed number one and the forward may decide to go for an increasingly complicated ring at 34 years old. The formula? The same as always: less money to sneak into a squad with (real) title options.
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2024-05-06 12:35:47
#shadows #doubts
