On January 1st, Beijing time, the Spurs hosted the Clippers. In the first quarter, Wenyamadu scored both inside and outside, leading the team to establish a lead. On the Clippers' side, only Harden struggled to support, with the entire team scoring only 17 points in the quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Spurs had already led by 14 points; in the second quarter, the Clippers' offense warmed up, launching a counterattack with consecutive three-pointers, but they were still unable to stop the Spurs' offense, and the point difference was further widened. At halftime, the Spurs led the Clippers 63-43; after changing sides again, the situation remained the same, with the Clippers completely lost on the offensive end, and the game almost lost its suspense; in the final quarter, the Clippers surrendered early, but the Spurs' bench continued to output, and the game ended with the Spurs defeating the Clippers 122-86.
Who would have thought that the first tragedy of the new year would happen to the Clippers. This game clearly shows the gap in talent between the two sides. Under Harden's single-core leadership, it is already very difficult for the team to achieve sixth place in the West. The Clippers now urgently need a second scorer who can sustain output.
Good news came as the Clippers' core Leonard welcomed news of his return. According to Law Murray of the Clippers, Leonard aims to return on January 5 (Beijing time) at home against the Hawks.
Leonard averages 25.4 points per game in his career with the Clippers, along with 6.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.7 steals. When healthy, Leonard is one of the top five players in the league. He is an elite defender capable of guarding multiple positions and a top-tier triple-threat scorer, which makes him one of the best two-way wing players in the league. Obviously, Leonard has nothing to prove, but winning the Clippers' first championship would add greatly to his legendary career. The Clippers have made comprehensive progress defensively this season, and a healthy Leonard could bring them back into contention for the championship.
Although Leonard hasn't played a game this season, he seems to have made no regression. In the latest training photos released by the Clippers, Leonard looks strong, indicating that he has been adding muscle during his rehabilitation.
The devilish muscle man returns! Leonard, the Clippers have waited too long for this moment, and your status in Tyronn Lue's heart is not inferior to James.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is very excited about Leonard's imminent return. In an interview, Tyronn Lue said, "Leonard is an excellent player with incredible influence on both ends of the court. He and LeBron are similar in that they have both made a lot of effort to come back, so they remind me of each other a lot. LeBron wasn't a shooter when he first entered the league, but now his three-point shooting percentage has reached 40%."
As we all know, most of Tyronn Lue's praise comes from James. After James returned to the Cavaliers and led the team to win the championship, Tyronn Lue became a championship coach in the league. By comparing Leonard to James, Tyronn Lue apparently believes that Leonard also has the opportunity to replicate the championship moment.
Leonard, don't let down your coach's trust and help the Clippers achieve their championship aspirations.