The Los Angeles Clippers are coming off a defeat in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Denver Nuggets. The series lasted seven games before the Nuggets emerged victorious.
The Clippers were expected to win this series before it began. The Nuggets just fired their long-time coach, Michael Malone, and have looked precarious throughout the season. Also, the Clippers had been coming on strong towards the end of the season.
The Clippers also recently re-signed Leonard after he missed time due to right knee inflammation. He is the best player on the team, and when combined with James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, and the rest of the Clippers squad, they are one of the best teams in the league.
Leonard showed up during this series, averaging 25.0 ppg, 4.7 apg, and 7.6 RPG. This was a vintage performance by Leonard, who has had success throughout his career. One of the main issues was Game Seven. Leonard had a solid game, but James Harden and Norman Powell, in particular, did not. Harden scored seven points in the game and only shot the ball eight times.
While he did have 13 assists and five rebounds, he did not produce nearly enough offensively for the Clippers to have a chance. Powell only had nine points, two assists, and two rebounds.
Even if Powell and Harden showed up and had mediocre games, the Clippers may have stood a chance, but they were “no shows” essentially. To put this in perspective, Harden’s regular-season averages were 22.8 ppg, 8.7 apg, and 5.8 RPG, and Powell’s were 21.8 ppg, 2.1 apg, and 3.2 RPG.
Leonard did have the help of center Ivica Zubac, who had a strong series. Zubac had ten points, two assists, and 14 rebounds in Game Seven compared to his regular season averages of 16.8 ppg, 2.7 apg, and 12.6 rpg. However, this was not enough help as the Clippers got crushed with a final score of 120 to 101.
Leonard had 22 points, two assists, and five rebounds in Game Seven, similar to his regular season averages of 21.5 ppg, 3.1 apg, and 5.9 rpg.
Leonard must be frustrated with how his teammates performed in this final game. The Clippers finished the regular season looking like strong contenders for an NBA Championship this season. Looking ahead, Leonard must be questioning whether he wants to remain on this team. While he can rely on Zubac, he cannot rely on Harden and Powell. Harden has become known for showing up poorly in Game Sevens as well, so that must also concern Leonard.
Leonard is a special player and a future Hall of Famer. At 33 years old, he is running out of time to take seasons for granted. If he wants to win another championship, either the Clippers need a roster change, or he needs to get traded to another team.
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