This season the Los Angeles Clippers are one of the strongest teams in the entire Western Conference,. With a record of 40-21 they are in 4th place, below the Timberwolves, Nuggets and Thunder. This position is mainly due to the Big Three formed by the Los Angeles team, in which Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden are complementing each other and playing at a high level, with a different role respectively.
In the current campaign, the franchise coached by Tyronn Lue has managed to achieve one of the best offenses in the entire league. The Los Angeles Clippers are the 4th best offensive rating team in the league with 118.9 points per game. This level of offense is overshadowing the fact that they are the 13th franchise in defensive rating with 114.4 points against per game, however the work of Kawhi Leonard defensively along with the great individual involvement of other players in the rotation, is making the Clippers an uncomfortable team in every game.
The 32-year-old American star, now in his fourth season with the Clippers since his arrival, is being the franchise's biggest benchmark. However, there is a key factor for the current success of this team, which is the continuity without injury problems of Kawhi Leonard. In the current regular season, he already has more games played than in the last two years and is just one game away from playing the same number of games as in his year of arrival, with a quarter of the season remaining.
The absence of injuries and incredible fitness has led the former Toronto Raptors player to be selected for the sixth time in his NBA All-Star career. The star had not achieved this since 2021, where he averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 51% shooting from the field.
However, this season he is not falling far from those numbers. Kawhi Leonard is averaging 24.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals with 52% shooting and a spectacular 43% from three-point range. Despite reducing his numbers compared to that year, his accuracy has increased and it is in this facet where the 32-year-old star is demonstrating his maturity and consistency, leading the project for which he bet.
Kawhi Leonard came to the Los Angeles Clippers after a single season with the Toronto Raptors, in which he showed the world that he was one of the best players in the NBA, winning the first ring in the history of the Canadian franchise. In that year's free agency the Los Angeles Lakers tried to convince the Finals MVP to join the roster, but according to the player himself, taking that decision would have been the easy way to the top and that is why he came to the city's rival team in order to bring glory again to a project without an NBA ring.
After his renewal with the Clippers, it appears that the franchise is still betting on Kawhi as the lynchpin of the project after 5 years with the team. This season can be a before and after in his career if he can make the playoffs healthy, contrary to the last few seasons, where his injuries have dampened the team's aspirations. So Kawhi Leonard will be looking to match Lebron James in being the only player in history with a Finals MVP in three different franchises.
The 33-year-old small forward is certifying a great regular season. Paul George at this point, already owns the most games played since he came to the Los Angeles Clippers. The absence of injury problems is bringing more consistency to the player and the franchise itself.
Paul George is averaging 22.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals with 46% shooting from the field and a remarkable 40% from three-point range. These numbers added to the effectiveness in them have been decisive to place the franchise 4th in the West and to be chosen All Star for the 9th time in his career.
Since his arrival to the Los Angeles team the transfer has been highly questioned by fans around the league. Paul George came to the Clippers at the request of Kawhi Leonard in the same year of his arrival in free agency. In exchange for the star from the OKC Thunder, where he was averaging 28 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game, they had to give up one of their promising players and several draft picks. The player traded was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , who is currently one of the league's MVP candidates and whose team is one of the best in the Western Conference, where the Los Angeles Clippers are located.
Paul George 's level has never been questioned, as he will be a future Hall of Fame player in the league. However, he left the Indiana Pacers ( team that chose him in the 2010 draft) for the OKC Thunder with the goal of leading a project to the NBA ring. But to date he has not made it happen, after several failures in the playoffs and performances remembered for being erased in important games and moments. However, in 2021 he made one of his best playoffs leading the Los Angeles Clippers without Kawhi Leonard (injured at the time) to the conference finals, which he lost to the Phoenix Suns of Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
The last member of this Big Three of the Los Angeles Clippers is James Harden. The 34-year-old American player did not have an easy start in the franchise, as in his first five games his team was defeated. However, the player began to get along with his new teammates and is currently averaging 17.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.3 assists with 45% shooting from the field in his first season as an Angelino.
James Harden was coming off two seasons with the 76ers alongside Joel Embiid, where he was even an All-Star in 2022. After failing to make it far with the franchise and unhappy about the contract, the player asked for a trade and the Clippers unexpectedly bet on him.
The transfer was highly questioned, however the 10-time league All Star has managed to understand the role the team needs. Since his departure from Houston Rockets his limitations to be one of the most lethal scorers in the league were reduced, so he decided to opt for a more assist and distribution facet. The arrival of James Harden has filled a key role from the outside position, which this franchise needed to raise the competitive level.
Despite a difficult start for this trio of stars, the Los Angeles Clippers are currently in a favorable position in one of the most competitive West in recent years and with the goal of achieving the first ring of the franchise and superstars like Paul George and James Harden.