Kawhi Leonard's potential return makes Clippers greatest Western Conference wildcard

Ananth Pandian

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Kawhi Leonard's potential return makes Clippers greatest Western Conference wildcard image

Kawhi Leonard has yet to play this season. Paul George has played in just 29 games.

And yet, the Los Angeles Clippers have clinched the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and are poised to make some serious noise in the postseason.

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So what gives? Why are the Clippers a wildcard in the Western Conference?

Let's break it down.

Overcoming Injuries

All season long, the Clippers have been besieged by injuries.

Leonard has been sidelined since the 2021 NBA Playoffs after partially tearing his ACL in his right knee in the second round against the Utah Jazz. George was healthy at the start of the season but suffered an elbow injury in December. Even Norman Powell, who the Clippers traded for in February, has been injured since mid-February after fracturing a bone in his toe. 

Despite these injuries, the Clippers clinched the No. 8 seed in the West with a 39-40 record.

And heading into the postseason, the Clippers are finally getting healthy. George just returned from his injury and Powell is expected to be back before the end of the regular season.

It makes you wonder. If the Clippers were able to play this well without Leonard and George for the majority of the season, just imagine how good they will be if both players were in the lineup.

Clippers forward Robert Covington certainly has. 

“Over here, once we get all healthy, it’s definitely going to be scary to see how everything goes because it’s so much,” Covington told reporters on Tuesday. “At any given moment, you never know what can happen, with this team, with the amount of guys that we have that are so versatile.

“It’s definitely going to be a lot of scariness that’s going to happen because we got so many people that can play so many different positions and at any given moment guard so many different guys. To have that versatility, it’s rare. And that much versatility and that much depth, it’s very rare.”

Give Ty Lue His Props

He won't win it, but Clippers coach Ty Lue should be in the running for the Coach of the Year award. 

Lue has somehow done more with less. He's instilled a competitive fire in the Clippers that burns deep within every single player on the roster. This has enabled the Clippers to play by committee. 

From Terance Mann to Ivica Zubac to Luke Kennard to Isaiah Hartenstein to Nic Batum to Reggie Jackson, every single player on the roster has stepped up, playing unselfishly and together.

Getting his team to buy in has been instrumental to Lue's success with the Clippers. It's a big reason why the Clippers are No. 8 in the West while essentially, playing without their two stars in Leonard and George for most of the season.

But Lue's sensational basketball acumen deserves a ton of credit as well.

The Clippers have had four comeback wins of at least 24 points this season, which according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the most by an NBA team in the last 25 seasons. And that's mainly because Lue is a just true master at in-game adjustments. Lue knows exactly when to go back to the drawing board and modify his game plan. 

Lue's is just simply not afraid take chances. He will mix up lineups by going small or rely more on unheralded young players than reliable veterans. 

His methods have gotten results. In the standings and with his players.

“I mean, [Lue's] done it before and we trust him with any unit we got out there,” Mann told reporters on Tuesday. “He’s going to do a great job with it, I’m sure.”

Will Kawhi actually return?

The Clippers have just three games left and it seems rather unlikely that Leonard will return in the regular season.

The team however, still hasn't ruled Leonard out for the postseason and the two-time Finals MVP has been recently ramping up his activity.

Of course, Leonard is just doing a shooting workout. He's not a full participant in practice and he's not playing 5-on-5. Plus, the Clippers continue to be vague about his status. 

So really, who knows for sure if Leonard will actually return in the postseason. There's no real point in speculating or making assumptions. 

All we know is that the Clippers still have not officially ruled Leonard out for the Play-In Tournament or playoffs. 

Either way, with our without Leonard, the Clippers are a tough matchup for anyone in the postseason. 

Clippers upcoming schedule 2021-22

The Clippers are locked in at the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference as they are too far back from the No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves to move up in the standings before the season ends.

Date Opponent Time (ET)
April 6 vs. Suns 10:00 PM
April 9 vs. Kings 9:30 PM
April 10 vs. Thunder 9:30 PM

NBA Playoff matchups 2022: Western Conference

Here's what the playoff matchups in the West would be if the regular season ended today:

Western Conference

(1) Suns vs. (8) Play-In Winner

(2) Grizzlies vs. (7) Play-In Winner

(3) Warriors vs. (6) Nuggets

(4) Mavericks vs. (5) Jazz

NBA Play-In Tournament matchups 2022: Western Conference

Here's what the NBA Play-In Tournament matchups in the West would be if the regular season ended today:

Western Conference

(7) Timberwolves vs. (8) Clippers

(9) Pelicans vs. (10) Spurs

How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?

  • The NBA Play-In Tournament will be held after the conclusion of the 2021-22 regular season and before the start of the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The teams that finish Nos. 1-6 in the standings of each conference will be guaranteed playoff spots. Teams Nos. 7-10 will enter the Play-In Tournament.
  • Each conference's Nos. 7 and 8 teams will face off, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser will still have one more opportunity to reach the playoffs.
  • Each conference's Nos. 9 and 10 teams will face off, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game. The loser of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will be eliminated from playoff contention.
  • The loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game and the winner of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will then play against each other. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
  • Beyond the Play-In Tournament, the 2022 NBA Playoffs will follow the typical format, with full best-of-seven series all the way through the NBA Finals.

Ananth Pandian

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Ananth Pandian is a seasoned marketer and copywriter with over a decade of experience working for premium brands and publishers like Nike, SLAM, and CBS Sports. Prior to plying his trade as a wordsmith, he grew up in a farmhouse, surrounded by the woods, fields, and a creek. Ananth has spent much of his life outdoors, and is excited to guide you through his never-ending list of the best products to keep you from falling to the perils of nature. Nowadays, there is rarely a weekend that goes by where Ananth isn't out camping, hiking, or just back on his parents' farm.