The Los Angeles Clippers entered the season surrounded by uncertainty. Accidents, age issues, and long-term flexibility made it straightforward to imagine main commerce strikes have been inevitable. That assumption now not feels secure.
The Clippers are taking part in a few of their finest basketball of the season, and the resurgence of Kawhi Leonard has modified the entrance workplace’s calculus. As a substitute of making ready to promote, Los Angeles all of a sudden seems to be like a group with causes to carry. Particularly the win towards the Pistons, who’re first within the East, didn’t really feel like a group that plans to tank.
Kawhi Leonard modifications the Clippers’ route
Leonard’s current stretch has been dominant. He seems to be wholesome, engaged, and decisive on each ends of the ground. When Kawhi is taking part in at this stage, the Eleventh-place Clippers are positively within the playin image, particularly because the Tenth-place Grizzlies will probably commerce Ja Morant, and the Ninth-place Path Blazers don’t have any star help.
With Kawhi setting the tone, the locker room has stabilized. The group’s defensive id has sharpened, and late-game execution has improved. These aren’t alerts of a gaggle making ready to tear issues down.
Ivica Zubac and James Harden have stabilized the Clippers’ core
Ivica Zubac has quietly develop into indispensable. His inside protection, rebounding, and screening anchor lineups that constantly win minutes. Buying and selling him now would create extra issues than it solves, particularly for a group lastly discovering steadiness.
The identical applies to James Harden. After early skepticism, Harden has settled right into a managed playmaking position that enhances Leonard reasonably than competes with him. He organizes the offense, limits errors, and offers the Clippers a gentle presence late in video games.
Collectively, Leonard, Harden, and Zubac type a useful core that’s successful now. That actuality considerably lowers the motivation to make disruptive strikes on the deadline.
Commerce talks surrounding the Clippers could cool off
Enjoying effectively on the proper time modifications every little thing. The Clippers are now not working from a place of desperation. They’re working from confidence.
That doesn’t imply the entrance workplace will ignore alternatives. Minor upgrades or depth strikes may nonetheless be explored. However the thought of transferring a core piece merely to reshape the long run has misplaced momentum. When a veteran-heavy group is successful and wholesome, continuity turns into an asset.
For now, the Clippers’ newest growth shouldn’t be a rumor or a quote. It’s efficiency. So long as Kawhi continues to appear to be himself and the supporting solid holds, Los Angeles has little cause to gamble.
The commerce deadline as soon as felt like a crossroads. With the best way the Clippers are taking part in, it now seems to be extra like a checkpoint.
