The Los Angeles Clippers made two major splashes in the 2019 offseason.
Kawhi Leonard was signed to a three-year max contract, and they traded for Paul George to form a dominant one-two punch.
A scrappy Clippers team in 2018-19 that played above their talent level became a title contender overnight.
The past three seasons have not played out as Clippers fans expected.
LA had terrific regular seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 but could not capitalize in the postseason.
The 2019-20 season saw them blow a 3-1 series lead in the second round to the Denver Nuggets.
And Leonard tore his ACL in the second round of the 2020-21 playoffs with the Clippers eventually falling to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
Clippers playoffs since 2014:
2014 — Controversial G5 vs OKC
2015 — Blew 3-1 lead to Rockets
2016 — Chris Paul broken hand
2017 — Blake Griffin toe injury
2019 — "I promised we tried"
2020 — Blew 3-1 lead to Nuggets
2021 — Kawhi knee injuryIs this franchise cursed? pic.twitter.com/508hOsBdtp
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 16, 2021
That torn ACL forced Leonard to miss all last season while George suffered a torn UCL on December 6, causing him to miss all but 2 of the next 50 games.
With their two stars combining to play in 31 games (all from George), the Clippers went 42-20 and missed the playoffs.
But LA finally appears to be fully healthy heading into the season.
Leonard and George have no restrictions and are surrounded by one of the league’s deepest rosters.
There will be no excuses if the Clippers do not make some noise this year.
Clippers Have a Deep Roster
The Clippers have a roster built for the modern NBA.
They are loaded with two-way wings outside of their two stars in Leonard and George.
Norman Powell, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Luke Kennard, Amir Coffey, and Terance Mann give the Clippers enviable depth.
The LA Clippers have 12 (!!!) players on its roster who played over 20 MPG in their last season.
Unreal depth. pic.twitter.com/yssaCBvBB2
— Guru (@DrGuru_) September 22, 2022
Reggie Jackson and offseason signing John Wall make up the guard rotation and provide a solid combination of playmaking and shooting.
Isaiah Hartenstein will be missed at the center spot, but Ivica Zubac remains.
The Clippers have 12 players who could conceivably play meaningful minutes and contribute.
That will allow them to mix and match lineups to best attack opponents.
Leonard and George will be the headliners in LA, but they are surrounded by plenty of talent.
Looking Ahead to the Future
The Clippers have assuredly hoped for a greater return than what they have gotten since making two big swings in 2019.
Three seasons is a long time in the NBA, and a fourth year falling short of the goal would mean a shake-up for many rosters.
But would the same be in line for the Clippers?
.@ZachLowe_NBA has HUGE expectations for the Clippers this year 👀
"This is the biggest season in the history of the Clippers franchise." pic.twitter.com/uuWR8IDUzU
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 20, 2022
Looking at the payroll over the next few years, the short answer is no.
Leonard and George are both signed through 2023-24 with a player option for 2024-25.
Powell is signed through 2025-26.
Morris, Kennard, Covington, and Batum are signed through 2023-24.
Zubac, Coffey, and Mann are signed through 2024-25.
Jackson and Wall are the only two players who could be free agents next off-season.
In short, this team’s core is signed for at least the next two years.
An early playoff exit would not need to lead to any significant moves.
The supporting pieces around their two cornerstones may be shaken up, but that should be as far as it goes.
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