Los Angeles Clippers
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The Los Angeles Clippers are currently 10th in the Western Conference and have made significant progress throughout the season.
The Los Angeles Clippers have started to turn things around and are currently 10th in the Western Conference after a struggling 6-21 start to the season. On paper, the Clippers have a talented roster that can make a playoff push.
Now it looks like the team is clicking and trending in the right direction. This month, the Clippers went on a six-game winning streak and have won nine of its last 10 games. Despite the team’s recent success, Gilbert Arenas is not bought in on the Clippers.
“It’s been amazing to watch them on whatever channel they come on,” Arenas said on his podcast “Gil’s Arena.” “They were supposed to be a championship contending team so I don’t know why I’m not going to hold them to that standard. So trying to give them praise for something that they were supposed to do, like they were supposed to be a top three seed….They did all that winning and they’re still behind Portland.”
Arenas believes that the Clippers should not be in the position they are right now, especially with the team they have. But it’s a long season and a lot can happen.
LA Clippers Trending Toward the Right Direction
After an abysmal start to the season, the Clippers have quickly put themselves in the play-in conversation, if the season were to end today. There’s no question that the Clippers have been one of the hottest teams in the league so far and they are riding this momentum that they have. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard have stepped up significantly and have played a key role throughout the team’s recent success.
Harden is averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds this season. On the court, Harden has impacted the game in numerous ways, from scoring to getting his teammates involved. He has recorded 12 double-doubles and two triple-doubles this season and recorded a 55-point game back in November. Harden is top-20 in points per game and is top-five in assists per game. There’s a good chance he will be selected to the All-Star game as well.
Leonard is having an All-Star caliber season as well. He’s top-10 in the league in scoring averaging 27.9 points and leads the Clippers in scoring. Leonard has had multiple impressive games this season. He had a three-game spurt where he scored 55, 33, and 45 during the Clippers six-game winning streak. When you have players like Harden and Leonard on your roster, your team becomes that much better.
Can the Clippers Make the Postseason This Season?
If the Clippers had a completely different start to the season, they could potentially be a top five team in the Western Conference right now. Outside of Harden and Leonard, the Clippers have a good supporting cast with players like Ivica Zubac and John Collins. Zubac is top-five in the league in rebounding at 10.9 per game.
So the Clippers have pieces around their star players. The question is can they continue to play the way they’ve been playing and move up in the standings? If the Clippers did miss out on the playoffs this season, some would consider the season to be a let down. The Clippers will be a team to follow throughout the remainder of the season.