Until about two weeks ago, there hadn’t been much good news for the Clippers all season. From the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration scandal, to the unceremonious dumping of Chris Paul, to the team’s abysmal 6-21 record, this really had been a year from hell for L.A.’s second team.
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There’s still a long way to go, but the Clippers are working their way back towards contention. They beat the Jazz last night for their sixth win in a row, and are now tied with Utah for 11th in the West, just 1.5 games out of the last play-in spot.
Kawhi missed about three weeks in November with a sprained foot and ankle. He’s been the catalyst behind the streak, though, averaging 39 points over his last six games, which includes a 16-23, 41-point effort in a blowout win over the Rockets over a week ago and a 55-point explosion against the East-leading Pistons on Sunday. But he’s aware of the dire situation that the Clippers are in right now.
After the win last night over the Jazz, Kawhi said that the Clippers still have work to do to be considered a good team. “Good teams are in the top eight or above,” he said. “We’re not there, we’re below .500, so we’re working our way up.”
Still, he saw many reasons to be encouraged over the last six games. “We’re making 3s, that was a big thing,” he said. “Our defense is more active, I feel like we’re getting out in transition a lot more.”
The Clippers are still playing at a slower pace than any other team in the league, but Kawhi felt like they were getting into their offensive actions earlier in the shot clock. That’s been a big factor in them averaging over 118 points per game over the last six games.
The Clippers have beaten the Jazz and the Kings in their last two games, but it’s not like this has been a cupcake part of the schedule. The streak began with a 15-point win over the crosstown Lakers, then they followed that with wins against the Rockets, at the Blazers and then at home over the Pistons.
Every win has been by at least 13 points, and the average margin has been more than 20. A trio of tough games are coming up against the Celtics, Warriors and at the Knicks. But then the rest of January offers an opportunity to feast, with two games each against the Wizards and Nets standing out as the easiest potential wins.
The Clippers have always lived and died based on Kawhi’s health, and he’s proven lately just how essential he is to their success. If he can stay on the court and keep playing like this, a team that was given up for dead a couple of weeks ago could suddenly become a real factor in the Western Conference playoff race.
