The first round of the NBA Playoffs promised fans yet another matchup between the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard. However, much to countless fans’ chagrin, Skip Bayless recently shed light on just how unlikely this highly anticipated contest really is. The sports analyst did this by revealing ‘The Klaw’s latest injury report while also predicting a somber outcome for the Clippers in the series.
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On the latest episode of UNDISPUTED, the 72-year-old stated that Leonard was allegedly suffering from a “weird swelling in his knees”. It could result in the 2x champion missing out on Game 1 of this series, while also simultaneously limiting his effort in subsequent games. Thus, the Clippers could change their defensive matchups in a drastic way, putting another player, likely Paul George, to guard Doncic, throughout the series.
As per Bayless, this scenario tilted the series’ winning odds in the Mavs’ favor in a big way. Giving his two-pronged reason for the same, the analyst believed that none of the other Clippers players could limit Doncic on the court, while also outlining how the latter’s winning run with Kyrie Irving of 12 victories in their last 13 games has turned them into the favorites.
“I have been told he can’t guard Luka the way he would because they just can’t risk him on Luka like that because it’s gonna be too much strain on that knee…I definitely don’t like their chances without Kawhi in Game 1. I think Dallas wins Game 1 and as you know, once you get one up in a series like that on the road, then I got the Mavericks,” he mentioned.
The statements shed light on the precise concerns of the Clippers fanbase. The dependency of the franchise on the services of Leonard has impacted their outcomes time and again this season. Without their talisman, the team was 7-7 during this past season, having even lost all of their last three games without him, as per StatMuse.
Simply put, the Clippers are in dire straits at the moment. However, even amidst these concerns, the franchise still has one thing going for them coming into this series.
History disfavors Skip Bayless’s words
Historically, Doncic has struggled to secure a win against this LA side in the postseason. He first faced the franchise in the first round of 2020, something that eventually resulted in a first-round exit for the Slovenian superstar. A year later, they met again as the Mavs took a 2-0 lead in the first round. However, the Clippers would come roaring back to win the series yet again (4-3), as per StatMuse. So, historically speaking, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks aren’t as secure as one may initially think.
Interestingly, this past regular season’s games often ended in similar fashion as well. Initially, they did defeat the Clippers in an In-Season Tournament group stage. However, following this, they lost to the LA organization twice in the regular season.
Therefore, Doncic’s luck and the franchise’s head-to-head record lead us to second-guess the opinion of Bayless. However, his comments on the team’s dependency on Leonard do carry some truth as the latter played a significant role in their recent regular season wins. All in all, the uncertainties surrounding the entire scenario have paved the way for an interesting premise right at the start of the NBA playoffs.
