Whoever said Kawhi would return around Christmas, please step forward and take the criticism - he has already announced that he will be out for the season in 2024.
The good news is that according to American media reports, Kawhi aims to return on January 5th next year, in the Clippers' home game against the Hawks.
Kawhi has completed the team's 5v5 training, which indicates that his return is imminent.
Without Kawhi, the Clippers have managed to achieve an 18-13 record and rank fifth in the Western Conference so far this season. Once their star player returns and they enter their complete form, won't they just take off?
It's worth noting that as the Clippers rose to fifth in the West, the Warriors dropped to 11th in the West.
In the first 15 games of the season, the Warriors could still rank first in the West with a record of 12 wins and 3 losses, but in the last 15 games, they only managed 3 wins and 12 losses.
However, the more they lose, the faster the Warriors will seek a third star player, and they are very hopeful of leading the first major trade that will shock the entire league this season.
Sorry, but the Heat recently made it clear that they will not trade Butler, so the Warriors have to look elsewhere.
To get back to the main point, Kawhi's return will quickly enhance the Clippers' offensive capabilities. So far, they have an average score of 109.4 (22nd in the league) and an offensive efficiency of 110.7 (21st), which is clearly not enough in today's league and is the main reason why they find it difficult to progress further. However, their defensive ability (efficiency of 108.2, 5th in the league) is beyond reproach.
Imagine that the Clippers have three players scoring over 20 points, with Powell averaging 24.2 points and Harden averaging 21.9 points. Especially in the playoffs, any opponent will fear the arrival of this super battleship.
Since Kawhi is no longer eligible for various awards in the regular season this year, and the Clippers have proven that they can still perform without him in the regular season.
Therefore, even if this guy returns, he will mostly be in a suit and tie during the regular season, for example, not playing back-to-back games.
The reason is simple: during the regular season, try to reduce Kawhi's physical wear and tear to lower the risk of injury, ensuring that he can compete in the playoffs in a healthy state to win the championship, using good steel on the blade.
Although Kawhi earns the highest salary within the Clippers, close to $50 million a year, but needs to focus only on the playoffs, it is inevitable that it will cause dissatisfaction, but this is the best solution among the impossible ones.
Here is the comeback trailer short film from Kawhi's brand partner New Balance.
What do you think about the Clippers' prospects after Kawhi's return? Share your opinions freely in the comment section!