Five saw game last Luka Doncic is a postseason masterpiece. It was too last James Harden is a loser in the playoffs. The result was almost a death blow to the Clippers' playoff chances in 2024.
Heading to Dallas, staring down the barrel of elimination, Los Angeles once again They saw the postseason disrupted by Kawhi Leonard's injury issues. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a first-round sweep over the New Orleans Pelicans and Paul George has yet to agree to a contract extension.
Dealing with an ongoing knee issue, it's unclear if Leonard will play again in this series. Leonard and George may have played their last game together in a Clipper uniform. If so, most of the package deals would have been a severe disappointment.
Yes, they made it to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history, but that came after Leonard tore his ACL.
This will be their second first-round loss in the Leonard George era. The only time they reached the second round with their two stars healthy, they blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the bubble.
It seemed like a dream pairing in 2019.
wings in two directions; Two-time Finals MVP with an excellent second choice; Tons of depth around them. The composition of the menu has changed several times since then. Doc Rivers was replaced by Tyronn Lue. Health has been the most obvious barrier to the Clippers' success, but that hasn't been their only problem.
Health is not their only problem
It appears that chemistry is responsible for this bubble. A lack of playmaking was often an issue. Harden and Russell Westbrook were hired to address their point guard issues. Both have come a long way after being outscored, with Westbrook going 6-for-35 over his last four games. Harden added to his list of postseason nightmares, going two-for-12 on Wednesday.
George, of course, has had his struggles in the playoffs in the past. It was hot and cold this time.
Steve Ballmer, the NBA's richest owner, continued to spend huge sums of money on the team. He was willing to dip into the luxury tax to maintain depth, and took full advantage of Bird rights to retain rotation players.
The Clippers have the second-highest payroll this season, having made few plays, except for a brief stretch midway through the regular season when they looked like real title challenges.
Ballmer was willing to invest as the Clippers were a title contender. They were far from it. Is his willingness to spend diminishing after the recent disappointment?
Perhaps this was indeed the case. After all, George would surely sign the extension by now if both parties were in agreement. He will have no shortage of suitors if he hits free agency, as the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic appear to be ideal landing spots.
What then?
If George declines the player option as expected, the Clippers still do not have cap space. PJ Tucker, Ivica Zubac and Terance Mann are each worth more than $11 million next season. Westbrook, Amir Kofi and Kobe Brown also guarantee money.
The Clippers, just like the Sixers, will certainly be reluctant to pay what Harden might demand this offseason. Maybe they let Harden walk and kept George. If so, they would have done a lot to get out of the first round. If they pay both of them Harden and George will face some hefty penalties for going over the salary cap in the coming years.
Maybe George had seen enough. He's about to enter his age-34 season and is still performing at an All-Star level. Does he envision the Clippers competing in the stacked Western Conference? Or does he prefer to take risks in the East? Joining forces with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey should be tempting. The upside of Paolo Panchero, Jalen Suggs, and Franz Wagner would be a fun final act for the former Pacer as well.
Of course, the Clippers could win the next two games and make the last 660 or so words irrelevant. Although Leonard is unlikely to play, the Clippers' chances of making the playoffs in 2024 are slim, especially since they have to go all the way to Game 6.
This is very much like the end of the Leonard George era. Even if they stay together, their title window has closed, and they face another season searching for a silver bullet, while becoming the latest front office to face a Harden dilemma.
