Can LA Clippers handle the pressure as favorites?

Can Leonard handle the pressure?

As mentioned above, there are moments that just stick in your mind when it comes to a certain player. Kawhi Leonard’s case isn’t the same as Paul George’s.

Right now, the first thing that will come to your head is, well, this moment.

Rightfully so; this is just one of the great moments in Leonard’s career. If you want to talk about handling pressure, then he is one of the players in the league that can do that consistently. Just take a look at what he accomplished last year.

After dealing with injuries in his last season with the San Antonio Spurs, he was dealt to what seemed at the time to be just a playoff team. There was a lot of criticism regarding Leonard as we hadn’t seen him play in almost a year and was out 22 games last season due to load management.

Then, come playoff time, he shut everyone up. Literally. In those playoffs, he averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.7 steals on .490/.379/.884 splits in 39.1 minutes per game. To add on to that, he had the only buzzer-beater in a Game 7 to end a series. What else would you want him to do?

This has been the story about Leonard throughout his career. Do people forget that he could have won MVP in 2017? Or that they could have challenged the Warriors if he was healthy?

Aside from LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Durant, as he is injured, there should be no other player in the world that you would pick over Leonard in the playoffs.

So, what does this mean for the LA Clippers?

After 26 games, the Clippers have a rocketed off to a 19-7 record and are second in the West. However, we will not witness what the Clippers are truly capable until the postseason and that will be the time when all those players will be showing what they do.

Last season this team was able to take the almighty Warriors to six games, but that was without all the pressure that they have this year.

Nevertheless, the team is filled with hungry players that had always been doubted in some or another and by having all four of those players, I do not doubt that they will be able to handle the pressure.