Slowly but surely, the Los Angeles Clippers are starting to play like the team they promised they’d be.
All summer long, fans of the franchise were convinced that this season was going to be the one that ended with them finally winning the NBA Finals.
They believed this, of course, because players and coaches for the team said that they believed they could go all the way this season.
But things got off to a rough start, solely because of the lack of time that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have spent on the floor.
George has suffered multiple injuries and illnesses and Leonard has been very slow to get back into full rotation as he adjusts to playing ball again after more than a year off the court.
Kawhi last 4 games:
29.0 PPG
7.5 RPG
4.0 APG
51/47/97%The Klaw is back. pic.twitter.com/yd4EGoojyr
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 16, 2023
But over the last few games, Leonard is playing like the iconic All-Star he is.
Through the last 4 games, Leonard has averaged 29 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4 assists a game on a 51/47/97% stat line.
For comparison, during the 2018-19 season when he and his Toronto Raptors won the Finals, Leonard was putting up 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
So, Leonard is playing better than he did when he helped the Raptors win a ring.
Does that mean that the Clippers really might go all the way in 2022-23?
That’s hard to tell.
First of all, the Western Conference is incredibly tough and harder than it has been in years.
Plus, Leonard’s biggest problem is staying consistent.
Will he really be able to participate in a majority of games at this level for the rest of the season or will injuries take him out and place him on the bench when the Clippers need him most?
Additionally, will George, John Wall, and the rest of the squad stay healthy too, and give Leonard the support he needs?
There are many questions about the Clippers still but at least their lead player is looking better and better.
