It is September in the NBA, which means it is time for the Los Angeles Clippers and their supporters to feel very optimistic about the upcoming season.
Ever since Kawhi Leonard and Paul George came to the team in the summer of 2019, they have been the darlings of the national media, and they have been picked as the clear favorite to win the world championship more than once.
But the Clippers have only one trip to the Western Conference Finals to show for all those high expectations.
Yet Chiney Ogwumike, a forward with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, says Leonard and George are looking good during their preseason workouts and that there is some optimism about the team as a whole.
"There is optimism around how [Kawhi Leonard and PG-13] look in their workouts… And also, I hear a lot of great energy from Paul George… it just feels like there's this quiet confidence that he has of going into this season."
– Chiney Ogwumike 👀pic.twitter.com/qrZHHflfci
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 15, 2023
The Clippers do have a fairly talented squad, as they also possess Russell Westbrook, who is a flawed yet terrifically gifted point guard.
He may not be a floor general or leader, but he is still one of the better players in the game as far as pushing the pace, attacking the paint, and hitting the open man.
They also have solid depth behind complementary players such as Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, and Terance Mann.
However, the rest of the Western Conference has gotten stronger, and teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Phoenix Suns are expected to be better than they were last season.
More likely than not, the Clippers appear headed for yet another unsatisfying early playoff exit, and it could put the future of Leonard and George in doubt.
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