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He fractured a bone in his left foot, but ultimately returned two months later before the play-in tournament. When the Clippers dealt Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, and Keon Johnson to the Portland Trail Blazers, it made the league give a collective double-take when Norman Powell and Robert Covington were included in the trade.įrom an on-court perspective, it was a swap of one rotation player (Bledsoe) that didn’t have a real future with the team, in exchange for a dynamic scorer in Powell and a multi-faceted defender in Covington that will also stretch the floor in small-ball lineups.Īfter the trade, Powell’s time on the floor was cut short. The most surprising trade – yet the one that projects to be the most impactful – happened just seven months ago. The trades LA has pulled off since acquiring their superstar duo have groomed their roster into a long, physical, and switchy group that can fit various playstyles. That’s not an easy objective for any team over the salary cap and hamstrung by a lack of draft capital.

(Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Daily Breeze via Getty Images) MediaNews Group via Getty Images Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were introduced to the media and fans as the newest members of the Clippers. press conference at the Green Meadows Recreation Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 24: Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank kicks off a. From capitalizing on the sport’s most coveted talents (multi-positional wings) to rebuilding an asset base that was totally depleted in 2019 and mocked by fans over the last two years, Frank has relentlessly searched for improvements to the roster. Lawrence Frank’s construction of this Clippers’ rotation is the sharpest I’ve seen of any team president or general manager. LA will have both of its stars back on the floor and, due to a wise front office, a heap of insurance behind them. Because this was the first ‘real’ offseason since 2019 instead of a shortened one, title contenders are entering camp healthier and more rested. With 2022-23 training camps starting next week, Lue will have an early look of one challenging task ahead: Finding the appropriate number of minutes for his fully-loaded cast. The players appreciate the clear and defined roles from the start of training camp, while also loving the fluidity and flexibility of his coaching style - his players know their hard work and improvement will be recognized during the dog days of a season and factor into playing time. Lue’s communication skills and ability to relate to any player on the roster has created an environment where everyone is comfortable. To become the true comeback kings of the league, the Clippers had to be a tight group that trusted each other, held everyone accountable, and relied on their unbreakable culture to power them through rocky weeks in the schedule. Through the ups and downs of missing the playoffs last year, the camaraderie continued to grow within the locker room. It was mostly a gap year for the organization, with the top priority being the development of rotation players and building chemistry on and off the floor. Last season, with Leonard taking a long-term approach to his recovery and George missing 43 consecutive games with a torn UCL, Lue still guided them to a winning record (42-40) with the No.

After all, it’s never wise to throw any superstar into a playoff race when they’ve had very little time to ramp up. While there was speculation he could return last spring, the Clippers smartly kept any timetable close to the vest and prioritized his long-term outlook.

On top of the injury costing him a potential championship, it guaranteed the following season would be dedicated to rehab. The timing couldn’t be worse for Leonard. The team had to play without its most dominant force in the West Finals, which they still extended to six hard-fought games. It would still become a story of bad luck for the Clippers, though, as Leonard tore his ACL in Game 4 of the second round, prematurely ending his playoff run. They became the first team in NBA history to overcome two 0-2 deficits in a single postseason, snapping their 50-year curse of not reaching the Conference Finals.