2. Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Those two names alone should strike fear into the heart of any NBA franchise. Individually, they are a problem. Together they are a potential nightmare.
Coming off the back of winning an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, Leonard decided to come to LA in search of a new challenge. For the 1st time in his career, Kawhi got to take a hold of his destiny.
During the free agency process, Kawhi took a significant amount of time to decide his future. We later found out that he was recruiting people to the Clippers. This, along with Anthony Davis to the Lakers and Kemba Walker to the Celtics, has led the NBA to tighten things up in regards to tampering.
Kawhi was successful in persuading George to the Clippers, for numerous assets and a mountain of 1st round picks.
In George and Leonard, you have two of the best two-way players in the NBA. However, one thing does stick out to me right away. Do they play too similar of a role?
They both play small forward, they are both considered a primary scorer and ball-handler for their previous teams. They do best when the ball is in their hands and they both like the ball in the same spots.
While this may be cause for concern, it is a fantastic problem to have for the Los Angeles Clippers. Leonard or George could play either power forward or even shooting guard to fix this problem and more than likely Leonard will be the primary ball-handler, not George.
With the Clippers roster as currently constructed, they have a fantastic chance at lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy come playoff time.
Can their duo stay healthy is the big question? Kawhi made load management famous last season and George is dealing with shoulder woes. If they stay healthy they are title contenders. If one or both get hurt then their title hopes crumble.
Expect a big year from the Los Angeles Clippers.