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The LA Clippers are heading into next season with high hopes. Playing without their stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for a majority of last season, the team finished eighth in the Western Conference. However, with both stars available, the Clippers are looking poised to come out of the West.
To add to their strengths, they added a dynamic point guard in John Wall. The five-time All-Star has been plagued with injuries. But he will be looking to be at his best next season and prove that he is a top guard in the league once again.
On "NBA Today," Tim Bontemps picked the Clippers as a team to watch out for in the West, saying:
"I think the Clippers are clearly the best team in the West with everybody available and on the court. They spent all of last season stockpiling players, stockpiling assets, when Kawhi Leonard, who's on the screen now, and Paul George are healthy to go at the start of the season."
Alongside their new-look Big Three, the Clippers also have one of the best supporting casts. Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell and Robert Covington are all capable of producing game-winning performances. Bontemps highlighted them as an integral part of their championship pursuit.
"They had Norman Powell. They had Robert Covington. They bring back Nicolas Batum," Bontempts said. "This team can play any way they want to play. They have a championship-winning coach in Ty Lue."
The Clippers have one of the league's best coaches in Ty Lue. The 2016 title-winning coach has been stellar since making the move to LA. He led the team to their first Western Conference finals appearance in 2021.
Heading into a season with all his players healthy, it will be interesting to see how Lue takes things forward. Speaking about the impact Lue could have, Bontemps said:
"Bobby (Marks) talked yesterday about buy-in for this group. Ty Lue was with those Cavs teams, which certainly had all sorts of those big personalities to deal with and getting guys to buy into different roles. I think (the) Clippers have everything required to be a championship (team)."
Can the LA Clippers win the championship next season?
The LA Clippers look like one of the best teams heading into next season. Although the Western Conference has the defending champions in the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers are touted to be favorites to come out of the West.
Last season, the team was hurt but still showed great composure to finish eighth in the West. However, they weren't able to get past the play-in tournament, losing to the New Orleans Pelicans in the deciding matchup.
The addition of John Wall will certainly lessen the burden on Kawhi and PG. One of the team's biggest strengths is its two-way ability. Along with fluid offense, the team also has gritty defenders.
The team's goal will be to get beyond the line and win the NBA championship for the first time in franchise history. Everything looks to be good, but a major factor that will help them get there is going to the health of their stars.
Guess the Lakers players!
