Los Angeles Clippers
The 2021-22 Los Angeles Clippers can be defined by Kawhi missing the entire season, Paul George missing 51 games, and the Clippers still finished 8th in the West but lost both play-in games to miss the playoffs.
What did we learn?
The Clippers kept on clippin’.
Without their two best players, this was a tremendously scrappy bunch with the NBA’s Bill Belichick pulling the strings.
Paul George Revenge Tour Round II got off to a nice start, kicking ass and taking names once again, but a torn UCL in his right elbow in December put PG on the shelf for three months.
Without Kawhi and PG, the Clippers kept on clippin’ behind a collective team effort to not only stay afloat, but to remain competitive and in the West playoff/play-in picture.
Reggie Jackson proved that last year’s playoffs were not a fluke. He continued to play like 2021 Playoffs Reg Jax in the regular season, scoring his most points per game since 2015-16. Jackson was even a T-shirt All-Star, often leading the Clippers in the 4th quarter as the lead playmaker and scorer.
Luke Kennard was the best 3-point shooter in the NBA, lefty sniping his way to an astounding 44.9 percent on 6 attempts per game.
Marcus Morris was capable of handling the heavy lifting, scoring 20 or more points 22 times this season, doubling that output from last year.
Terance Mann might not have taken the mega-leap we thought he might, but he was still very dependable, playing in every game this season save for one and leading the Clippers in minutes played.
Ivica Zubac posted career-high numbers across the board as the Clippers main big man. (On the other hand, Serge Ibaka was so, so washed.)
There was a caffeination situation going on here. Amir Coffey ascended to be a solid rotation player after being a two-way contract player, earning himself a real guaranteed deal. The Brew Master! The Folger Soldier!
Here is a stat for you: From Jan. 1 to the end of the season, the Clippers had 14 different leading scorers. FOURTEEN: Bledsoe, Ibaka, Morris, Coffey, Mann, Batum, Zubac, Jackson, Kennard, Boston, Powell, Hartenstein, Covington and George.
The Clippers did have a bottom-5 offense for the season, but their top-10 defense was staunch behind stifling wing defenders. At the deadline, the Clippers traded for another T-shirt All-Star in Norman Powell and got Robert Covington in the deal as well.
The Clippers will have a plethora of big switchable wings next season.
But the 2021-22 Clippers will always be remembered for their insane comebacks. Three comebacks of 24+ points in the span of just eight days was nutty and magical. Probably a good mix of both. (Magically nutty?)
The comeback against the Wizards was one of the most memorable games if you happened to watch it unfold live. (And ESPECIALLY if you jumped in on the Clippers Live MoneyLine!) Down by 35 points, The Thrill at Capitol Hill was the second largest comeback in NBA history.
Brian Siemen on the call described it perfectly: “Walking through raindrops!” He also couldn’t help but let out a “HOT DAMN!!!” along with several: “I do not believe what we have seen!”
And late in the season on the night that Paul George returned to the lineup, the Clippers did it AGAIN.
Against a very familiar foe in the Jazz, the Clippers pulled off another huge 25-point comeback win.
These Clippers stayed clippin’.
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Additional Notes
It was touched on but should be emphasized: Ty Lue is a fantastic coach who knows his X’s and O’s as well as anybody and can make the necessary adjustments to give the Clips an advantage.
The best Clippers 4-man lineup that played at least 200 minutes? Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Isaiah Hartenstein blitzed opponents with a net rating of 13.8 points per 100.
In the 23 games this season that Nic Batum posted a positive plus-minus, the Clippers record was 20-3.
Brian Siemen on the call is definitely one of our favorite play-by-play guys, probably #2 behind Eric Collins.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
No Kawhi throughout the course of an entire season feels like a possible sinking ship. Under 45.5 wins.
Clippers 2021-22 record: (42-40)
Yes!
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What’s Next?
The Clippers would have had the #12 pick in the draft, but that belongs to OKC thanks to the Paul George trade. The Clippers lone pick in the draft is #43 in the second round.
Zubac has a team option for $7.5 million. If declined, he would become an unrestricted free agent. Or the Clippers could always sign him to an extension, as they did with Robert Covington back in May for two years and $24 million, which according to ESPN’s cap-guru Bobby Marks, “The Clippers' projected luxury tax bill for next season increases from $17.8 million to $54.9 million with Covington's new deal.” Good thing Steve Ballmer has pockets deeper than the Pacific.
Get Kawhi and PG healthy and on the court.
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Favorite Clippers Highlights of the 2021-22 Season:
Walking through raindrops!
