Los Angeles Clippers
The 2020-2021 Los Angeles Clippers season can be defined by making it to the franchise’s first ever Western Conference Finals and pushing the Suns to 6 games without Kawhi.
What did we learn?
At the tail end of the season, the Clippers out-tanked the Rockets and the Thunder to avoid the Lakers side of the playoff bracket.
Was that a bitch move? Yeah, it kinda was. But in the end it doesn’t really matter because the Clippers sans Kawhi (and Serge Ibaka!) were able to small-ball their way passed the Jazz to make the West Finals at long last.
It sure took him a while, going down 0-2 in back-to-back series against the Mavs and Jazz, but Ty Lue’s adjustments were eventually the difference between this season and last when Doc rode with his guys in the bubble playoffs, going down with the sinking ship.
We suggested on this here blog that the arrival of one Terance Mann had occurred as far back as mid-February, and we were singing the praises of fellow bench guy Luke “Money” Kennard for quite some time. We implored Ty Lue to play these guys more. Both offered a jolt off the bench in contrasting ways: Mann in his never afraid to attack the rim approach (an area where the Clips were lacking), and Kennard’s lefty shooting capable of catching fire to the point of Brian Sieman yelling: “Luke Kennard is having an out of body experience!!!”
Turns out that Ty Lue was keeping them in his back pocket to later pull out as a couple of aces up his sleeve. Props to those guys for staying ready and for the Clippers coaching staff for keeping them locked in.
Another ace that showed up out of nowhere in the playoffs: Reggie Jackson. Yes, Reggie Jackson! We had wondered that come playoff time, was Reggie Jackson somebody you could really trust? It was a revelation to see him pull through time and time again, but the answer to that question became a very emphatic YES. All the buzz was about Playoff Rondo being the Clippers X-factor (he didn’t do much), but it was Reggie Jackson and Terrance Mann who were two of the biggest reasons the Clippers were able to make it as far as they did outside of Ty Lue and… Playoff P himself.
The Paul George Revenge Tour had a lot of stops this season, kicking ass and taking names, and we are proud to report that included the playoffs. When PG is at the top of his game, he’s one of the smoothest in the biz. Yes, there were still some moments when Pandemic P was trending, most notably the two missed free throws in Game 2 that left the door open for the Valley Oop. But you can’t deny that PG was absolutely fantastic for most of the playoffs, especially his 41 points in Game 5 of the West Finals to stave off elimination and his 37 points in Game 5 in Utah to step up without Kawhi when the Clippers needed him most.
PG was undeniably imperative to the Clippers first ever Western Conference Finals birth, moving passed their bubble demons from a year ago. There were plenty of games where he was the no doubt best player on the court. That’s really all you can ask for from a guy who was previously a total and complete embarrassment, bricking shots off the backboard in a Game 7 and earning the monicker Wayoff P.
Ya know, it appears that Nicolas Batum was not washed like all the evidence suggested, but he does owe the Hornets about 100 million dollars, doing jack shit in Charlotte the last couple of years, then showing up to LA and playing the third most minutes per game on this team. And he shot 40 percent from 3 on four attempts per game!
Another three-point marksman that we did not see coming… Marcus Morris? That’s right, Marcus Morris who shot an uncanny and truly unbelievable FORTY SEVEN percent from 3 on five attempts per game. (Astonishing, we know.)
The Clippers were the best three-point shooting team in the league at 41 percent, one of the best marks of all-time. The ball movement on this previous iso-heavy team was so much better this season. Kawhi and PG both averaged the most assists of their careers — both at exactly 5.2 per game. Real progress was made.
And just like all of the countless other what if’s from this season, if Kawhi doesn’t go down… who knows?
It’s a mystery.
Just like the imminent future of Kawhi and the Clippers.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
Over 47.5 wins. We originally had the Under, but even though the Clippers will still be the hunted, revenge is a very powerful motivator.
Clippers 2020-2021 Record: (47-25)
Nope, our preseason Over/Under prediction did not hit. Maybe that’s the real reason why the Clippers tanked so hard at the end of the season. (They bet the Under on themselves.)
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What’s Next?
Figure out the Kawhi free agent situation. Kind of a big deal. Surgery on his partially torn ACL means it’s possible he could maybe return in time for the playoffs, but it feels more likely that he could miss the 2021-2022 season entirely. Either way, considering they gave up everything to get him and PG, the Clippers have to do anything and everything in their power to keep him aboard.
The Clippers actually have their 1st Round pick this year at #25 which they can trade after making the selection. The next 1st Round draft pick that they can trade? 2028.
Other Clipper free agents: Serge Ibaka (player option), Reggie Jackson, Nic Batum, DeMarcus Cousins and Pat Patterson.
Couple of expiring contracts here: Pat Pev and Rondo.
Terance Mann UNLEASHED.
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Favorite Clippers Highlight from the 2020-2021 Season:
A Terance Mann / Luke Kennard game on a random Tuesday night in March.
The Hawks led 88—66 with 4:15 left in the third.
