(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Plenty of people felt the Los Angeles Clippers were legitimate championship contenders this season, but as usual, the Clippers have found a way to disappoint people, at least so far.
They won a relatively modest 51 regular-season games and claimed the fourth seed in the Western Conference, which means they will have a challenging first-round playoff matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavs are a team that has been red-hot lately, and to make matters worse, Kawhi Leonard has missed L.A.’s last eight games.
According to Chris Broussard on Monday’s episode of FS1’s “First Things First,” someone who is “in the know” says the Clippers are “concerned” about Leonard’s knee ailment that has kept him out lately.
“If Kawhi is healthy, I have a lot of confidence in the Clippers. I was in contact with someone in the know, and they said they are concerned.”
— @Chris_Broussard on the Mavs-Clippers Round 1 series: pic.twitter.com/cLMRxgCW1k
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 15, 2024
Until recently, Leonard had appeared in almost every game this season, and people around the league were seemingly impressed with his ability to stay healthy.
But now, the injury bug seems to be afflicting him at the worst time of the year.
Four years ago, Luka Doncic and the Mavs lost to the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, but this time around, Doncic has Kyrie Irving by his side.
A first-round exit by the Clippers could lead to plenty of speculation about the immediate future of their core, especially with star forward Paul George possibly approaching free agency.
George has a player option for next season he can turn down, and rumor has it the Philadelphia 76ers are interested in adding him to their core, which includes reigning MVP Joel Embiid and rising star guard Tyrese Maxey.
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