3 reasons why LA Clippers won't make it to the 2022 NBA Playoffs without Kawhi Leonard

The NBA's Western Conference is ridiculously competitive, and the LA Clippers are far from locks for the playoffs considering the absence of Kawhi Leonard. Leonard suffered a partially torn ACL in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz and his timeline is uncertain for the 2021-22 season.

This leaves the LA Clippers with an MVP-sized hole to fill amongst the remaining roster. Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo are the two most noteworthy subtractions throughout the offseason, while Eric Bledsoe and Justice Winslow will be joining the squad. Jason Preston and BJ Boston were acquired via the draft for president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

The LA Clippers concluded the 2020-21 regular season with the fourth-best record in the Western Conference with 47 wins and 25 losses. The team was 11-9 in the 20 games that Kawhi Leonard sat last season and 36-16 in the games that included Kawhi. If they were to continue their 55 win percentage rate without Kawhi, that would have placed them around the seventh seed last season.

As has been the case for two years now, and will continue to be, any team that finishes between the sixth and tenth seeds in their respective conferences will participate in a play-in tournament for the playoffs. Deciding the fate of your postseason with just one or two games leaves no possibility, and the LA Clippers could find themselves in that situation without Kawhi Leonard..

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Here are three reasons the LA Clippers could miss the 2021-22 postseason considering Kawhi Leonard's injury.

#3 Other Injury-Prone Players

Paul George is the obvious candidate to step up while Kawhi Leonard is sidelined. The seven-time All-Star finished third in both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year voting at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season. We are now three years removed from that point however, and George has a history of unfortunate injuries throughout his career.

In the last two 72 game seasons, the LA Clippers wing has played in 48 and 54 total games. Last season, the LA Clippers totaled 1,483 possessions without either George or Leonard and were a -1.7 net rating in those minutes.

While other players on the roster are capable of stepping up, Paul George going down would be the clearest downfall to the LA Clippers' playoff hopes in 2021-22.

Luke Kennard spent all of last offseason rehabbing from tendinitis in both of his knees, and didn't see how many expected him to during his tenure with the LA Clippers.

In June 2021, Serge Ibaka underwent back surgery that led to his season ending abruptly during the LA Clippers' playoff run.

Nicolas Batum is only a year removed from a significant torn ligament in his left elbow that had lingering effects.

Justice Winslow has played a grand total of 37 games over the last two seasons.

Without Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers' margin for error and flexibility becomes razor thin, and another substantial injury could derail their season quickly.

#2 Reliance on Youth

The LA Clippers are not what I would call a young roster, but they did have some promising young talent shining in moments last season. Terance Mann is the primary name who stands out.

Mann averaged 18.9 minutes per night in 2020-21 and tallied 7.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in those minutes while converting 50.9 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from three, and 83.0 percent from the free throw line. Of course, there was also his Game Seven heroics against the Utah Jazz after Kawhi's injury where Mann converted seven of his ten attempted threes leading to 39 total points.

The Florida State product has been primed to take a distinguished leap this season, but relying on young players is always risky. Inconsistency and youth go hand-in-hand, and Mann is no different. Aside from the aforementioned 39 point breakout game, the 24-year-old didn't surpass 13 points last postseason.

Speaking of inconsistency, Luke Kennard has nearly been the definition. The 25-year-old guard is heading into his fifth NBA season and his future is still unclear. He will need to show up for the LA Clippers to replace some of Kawhi's offensive production, but there is no guarantee of that happening after a shaky production level in 2020-21.

Recent draftees Jason Preston and BJ Boston are promising, but any team supplying either of those two with a consistent role in year one is probably not garnering real postseason consideration.

#1 The Rest of the West

Memphis Grizzlies v New Orleans Pelicans

There are 13 teams I suspect to be chasing the playoffs in the Western Conference, the LA Clippers included. With Kawhi Leonard watching from the sidelines for the majority of the season, the Clippers could simply come to realize they are in a lower tier of the West than expected.

While nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors are about as close you can get to playoff locks next season. That's five spots off the table already.

The next tier would include the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and probably the LA Clippers. The issue is that any of the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, or Minnesota Timberwolves could take a substantial leap into that grouping as well.

Securing a spot in the top six has increased in value due to the recent addition of the play-in tournament, and the LA Clippers could find themselves on the outside looking in.

If the regular season comes to a close and the LA Clippers are sitting between the seventh and tenth seeds, it becomes anyone's game. Every team in the NBA is subject to an off-night and sometimes they arise at the worst moments possible.

With the competitive level of the Western Conference, all it would take is one or two of these previous middling teams to take a jump for the LA Clippers to potentially be stuck in the sketchy play-in tournament.