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The Los Angeles Clippers are preparing for life without Kawhi Leonard. After their superstar forward suffered a partially torn ACL during the second-round of a playoff series against the Utah Jazz, Leonard is expected to be out for the foreseeable future. The good news for Los Angeles Clippers fans is that Kawhi signed a lengthy extension this year. The five-time all-star signed a four-year, $176 million contract this offseason, leading to the theory that Leonard will most likely remain with the Clippers for the remainder of his career. Taking part in the Clippers media day, Leonard gave us an update on his progress and why he chose to theoretically take less money to prioritize security with the Clippers.
So What Does That Mean for the Los Angeles Clippers?
With Kawhi Leonard potentially expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the 2021-22 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers are going to have to get creative with their rotations. That could lead to head coach Tyronn Lue experimenting with a number of players in different situations. This Los Angeles Clippers team still has some intriguing pieces that they can move around. With a number of veterans that stepped up and look like important pieces for the team this year, it's going to be interesting to see if the Clippers can get a number of players to step up again with Leonard out. Let's take a look at what the goals should be for the Los Angeles Clippers this year moving forward.
#3 Develop the Youth
While the Los Angeles Clippers didn't have a lot of room to aggressively pursue sizeable trades, they still did a great job of adding some intriguing talent to the roster. The goal this year should be to try to develop some of that young talent for the future. One underrated name to keep an eye on is 2021 NBA Draft selection Keon Johnson. The former Tennessee product is a sensational athlete who will be a bit raw offensively, but he has the potential to make an immediate impact as a defender. The big name here to keep an eye on is Terance Mann. After having himself a bit of a coming-out party in the NBA Playoffs, Mann now looks like a player who is poised to take another step forward in his development. If Mann can continue to take strides with his game, he could become a crucial part of this Clippers rotation.
Also Read: Who is Paul George’s to-be-wife, Daniela Rajic?
#2 Figure out the Backcourt Rotation
One of the deepest parts of this Los Angeles Clippers roster is the depth in the backcourt. No player impressed more in the playoffs last year than guard Reggie Jackson. The Clippers realized that Jackson is starting to find his groove as a player and rewarded him this offseason, as they re-signed him to a two-year, $22 million deal. With the Clippers moving Patrick Beverley this offseason via trade, it looks as if Reggie Jackson should be the starting point guard moving forward. The Clippers also added veteran guard Eric Bledsoe via trade. Both Jackson and Bledsoe could be expected to share the starting backcourt together. From there, the Clippers have a number of intriguing guards that they can use in rotations, including Luke Kennard and even free-agent acquisition Justise Winslow.
#1 Unleash PG13
What better way to make up for the loss of one superstar than letting your other star run wild? That's exactly what the plan should be for the Los Angeles Clippers this year with Paul George. After playing alongside other stars such as Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City and Kawhi Leonard with the Clippers recently, George is now going to find himself as the lead "dog" for the team. It's a position that Paul George hasn't been in since his early days with the Indiana Pacers. We saw how dangerous George can be in his playoff series against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Now we will get an extended look at what PG13 can do when he is the focal point of the offense. Expect head coach Tyronn Lue to try to run the offense through the seven-time All-Star. With Kawhi Leonard expected to miss the majority of the season, it's going to be a fortunate luxury to have.
