NBA regular season is in full swing, and the league's landscape is taking shape, with the Wild West reaching new heights! So far, the Thunder lead with a strong record of 24 wins and 5 losses, followed closely by the Grizzlies (22-10), Rockets (21-10), and Mavericks (20-11) forming the second echelon, with no more than one game difference between adjacent teams; the third echelon is even more brutal, with seven powerhouse teams including the Clippers (18-13), Lakers (17-13), Nuggets (16-13), Timberwolves (16-14), Spurs (16-15), Suns (15-15), and Warriors (15-15) forming a melee, with no more than 0.5 games difference between adjacent teams! In other words, one of these 11 teams will ultimately be shut out of the play-in tournament! Although the Los Angeles Clippers are not particularly noticeable in the Wild West, they continue to create surprises and have a promising future!
With an 18-13 record and the fourth-best defensive efficiency in the league, the Clippers have earned respect. Over the past few seasons, the Clippers have built their team around the twin stars of Leonard and George, always being championship contenders but never achieving success. This offseason, George and Westbrook left, and the Clippers retained Harden with a two-year, $70 million contract, while also bringing in role players such as Little Jones, Porter, Batum, and KJ. They embarked on a path of mediocrity. Considering that Leonard was returned by the Dream Team in the summer, no one knows when he will return or if he can regain his peak form, even though the world believes in Harden's ability to maintain a baseline during the regular season, people still think the Clippers will find it difficult to make waves in the West.
Against this backdrop, the Clippers remain unperturbed and have not fallen behind. So far, they have achieved an 18-13 record, ranking fifth in the West, two games behind the fourth-placed Mavericks (20-11), half a game ahead of the sixth-placed Lakers (17-13), one game ahead of the seventh-placed Nuggets (16-13), and two games ahead of the eleventh-placed Warriors (15-15). In other words, the Clippers are temporarily safe and do not have to worry about falling out of the play-in zone, and may even have a chance to secure a direct playoff spot. The Clippers' current situation is due to Harden's ability to maintain a baseline, as well as the emergence of Powell and Zubac. More importantly, the Clippers' DNA is changing; they no longer rely on superstars but stand on defense! So far this season, the Clippers' defensive efficiency (107.8) ranks fourth in the league, only behind the Thunder (103.3), Rockets (105.9), and Magic (106).
The Clippers have been forging ahead during Leonard's injury absence, but let's face it, relying solely on Harden to lead this team of commoners is destined to achieve little, especially in the playoffs where the person who determines the Clippers' ceiling might still be Leonard! Leonard is truly a dynasty terminator - in the 2014 season, Leonard prevented the Heat from winning three consecutive championships and won the FMVP; in 2019, Leonard prevented the Warriors from winning three consecutive championships and won the FMVP. It is precisely because of Leonard that no team in the league has been able to complete a three-peat since the OK-era Lakers, which is why the Clippers still offered Leonard a three-year, $150 million contract despite his injury troubles in recent years.
Leonard's contract takes effect this season, with a starting salary of $49.2 million. For emotional, rational, and financial reasons, he should seize the tail end of his prime and make a move. The Clippers desperately need Leonard, and Harden has created ample recovery time for his return. As Tyronn Lue puts it, we all know how important Leonard is, but we won't rush him back until he's 100% recovered. Today, the Clippers bring good news: the dynasty terminator Leonard is set to return! According to Clippers beat reporter Law Murray, Leonard will make his season debut on January 5, 2025, against the Hawks at home!
Regarding Leonard's return, the Clippers' coaching staff and players have expressed their opinions! Coach Tyronn Lue said: We've been practicing tactics with Leonard, and our new additions are gradually adapting to playing with him; Powell said: After Leonard returns, we'll all have to make sacrifices, but we have no selfishness; our goal is to make a splash in the playoffs; Harden also made bold statements in an interview, saying: Leonard said he doesn't want to disrupt the team's current chemistry, I assure you he won't; he'll give us another elite weapon on both ends of the court, and we're very excited about it! Navigation at sea relies on the helmsman, and clearly, Harden is the helmsman of this team. With Leonard's return, the Clippers will have more weapons to deal with the "pirates" of the Wild West! What do you think, fans? Leave me a comment to discuss it.