A majority of fans were not happy to see Paul George leave the Los Angeles Clippers to go to Philly. PG-13 decided to take his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers and while LA loyalists may be furious, former Clippers icon Baron Davis isn’t. Davis spoke to sportswriter Brandon Robinson and highlighted the positive aspects of George’s departure.
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The two-time All-Star spoke to Robinson on his show, Scoop B Radio. As a former Clippers player, Robinson wanted to know Davis’ take on PG’s departure. And his response shows the silver lining to the whole ordeal.
“I think for the Clippers, who knows? Sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise because it forces you now to play through Kawhi and James Harden. So, you have two superstars and then you pick up some good players in free agency.”
Davis also emphasized the Clippers’ free agency moves this offseason, specifically talking about Kevin Porter Jr. BD, who played 3 seasons with the Clippers, still does some announcing for the team now and then.
So, instead of criticizing what the Clippers did or did not do, he chose to look at the bright side of things. Let’s first talk about LA’s moves this offseason after George left a huge hole in the team’s game plan.
The Clippers went on to re-sign James Harden and Ivica Zubac. Apart from the re-signings, LA also brought up Porter Jr., Mo Bamba, Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn, and Derrick Jones Jr.
The team made sure to fill George’s position with two to three options; two young players with potential and a veteran shooter as the third option. Porter Jr. and Jones Jr. both have immense speed and athleticism to get off the floor and finish over defenders. And Batum is a proven veteran who can space the floor, knock down threes, and even play multiple positions when required.
Why George left the Clippers
PG’s departure from LA was a surprising one. A Los Angeles native himself, George had everything he could ask for. He was playing for his hometown team with a plethora of stars around him.
However, according to USAToday, George’s decision to leave LA stemmed from the Clippers’ initial offer for a contract extension.
“Just to put it out there, I never wanted to leave L.A. L.A. is home. This is where I wanted to finish at, and I wanted to work as hard as possible to win one in L.A. That was the goal: to be here and be committed to L.A. As it played out, though, the first initial (offer) was, I thought, kind of disrespectful.”
The Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard to a three-year/$152.3 million extension this past season. So, it is possible that George felt the front office did not see the two stars as equals and PG decided to take his talents elsewhere.
But George’s departure doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. The Clippers have already added some great pieces to the roster. And now with Leonard and Harden as the two lone stars, it’ll allow them to really find their stride.
Moreover, if the two stars manage to remain healthy, the Clippers can definitely make it to the playoffs in this hardened Western Conference.
