If the latest rumors prove to be accurate, there's reason to believe that the LA Clippers could emerge as dark horse contenders in the Western Conference.
Once it was clear that the LA Clippers were going to move past the Paul George experience during the offseason, and that the team would make a massive move to find his replacement, it was only natural to expect a bit of a step back from the team this season. However, at least through the first quarter-plus of the regular season, that's not exactly what has taken place with the Clippers.
Instead of taking the expected step back, the Clippers have managed to remain afloat near the top of the Western Conference standings. It's proven to be quite impressive, especially considering that Kawhi Leonard has yet to play in a game during the regular season. The Clippers are currently 14-10 and are a top-6 team in the West standings. They're also only two games back of the second seed. To say that their play so far this season has been surprising would be a massive understatement.
Adding to their already established momentum, if the recent rumors are true, this is a team that can truly take off during the stretch run. The recent whispers are that Kawhi is set to make his regular-season debut at some point before Christmas. Whether that ends up being true or not remains to be seen but it is encouraging that he could be on the verge of returning.
Looking across the landscape in the Western Conference, there's a reasonable chance that Kawhi could have a huge impact on the Clippers' chances of making noise in the postseason. Sure, Kawhi still needs to prove that he can remain healthy for an extended amount of time. However, if he can remain relatively healthy, who's to say that the Clippers can't make a run in the West?
There isn't one team that is running away from the conference at the moment and the closest thing the West has as an overwhelming favorite is the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that lost in the Western Conference semifinals last season. For as good as the Thunder have looked this season, they're dealing with their own issues (most recently the injury to Chet Holmgren).
I wouldn't consider the Clippers as a contender at the moment but with the way the team has played of late, it would be foolish to not at least consider them a threat to emerge as a dark horse contender if Kawhi is close to a return. LA may not have the top-tier talent to win a championship this season but they can certainly make some noise if they can remain healthy in what appears to be a wide-open Western Conference.
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