Then, on Friday night, LA became the first team in NBA history to come back from two 0-2 deficits in the same playoff run, finishing off the Utah Jazz in six games despite missing All-Star Kawhi Leonard with a nebulus knee injury for the final two.
Now, the Clippers are set to take on another regular-season juggernaut: the Phoenix Suns.
The severity of Leonard’s aforementioned knee injury could ultimately determine whether the Clippers can win a title should they advance, but based on the schedule of the Conference Finals, it seems as though Leonard will miss the series regardless.
Having said that, even if the Conference Finals stretch to seven games, Game 7 will take place on July 2, just 18 days after Leonard suffered the injury while playing the Jazz.
It seems the Suns will also be missing an All-Star for at least part of the series, but not due to injury; Chris Paul entered health and safety protocols on Wednesday, and Tim Bontemps reported on Saturday that he has yet to be cleared, meaning he’ll likely miss Sunday’s Game 1.
Though these are statistically the least efficient shots in basketball when a league-average player is attempting them, they can be deadly when properly implemented by proven tough-shot makers like Phoenix’s backcourt.
They led the league in assist/turnover ratio this season , but they’re not going to get the chance very often in this series.
Though they have no problem isolating, they also love to get to the elbow using the space generated by the screen, rising up for a jumper before the defender can recover.
Ivica Zubac will no doubt have his moments, particularly against bench units, but he’s struggled to defend the pick-and-roll against dynamic ball-handlers in the postseason , whether or not the Clippers are in drop coverage.
The Suns were also middle of the pack in terms of allowing three-point attempts, which also bodes well, given the fact that LA was one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams of all time in the regular season, and their volume of attempts has increased since entering the postseason.
He’s owned the Phoenix, despite the Suns having the like-sized personnel to deal with him in Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and All-Defense team snub Mikal Bridges.
With Leonard out, the Clippers no longer have the luxury of being able to confidently say they have the best player in the series on their side.
He seems to have recovered from his shoulder contusion, and though the Clippers have decent options to deal with him , he’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer who’s proven throughout the year to still be effective despite his advanced age.
His combination of size, speed and ball-handling make him a matchup nightmare for LA, and without Leonard, the task will likely fall on George to defend him sooner or later.
If continues to prove his doubters wrong as he has in his last two games without Leonard by his side, the Clippers are a tough team to beat.