What to watch for from every NBA team in the second half

L.A. Clippers: How they load manage down the stretch

The L.A. Clippers will tell you the regular season doesn’t matter to them. It’s why Kawhi Leonard has sat out 13 games and Paul George has appeared in just 34 of 55 while nursing various ailments that have flared up on several occasions.

L.A. wants its best guys as fresh as possible for the games that will validate the greatest offseason in franchise history. But as the regular season ticks down, those plans might have to see a slight alteration.

As talented a bunch as this Clippers team is at 37-18 on the year, they’re still building on-court comradery. That’s what happens when your best guys are constantly in and out of the lineup.

Health is of the utmost importance, but don’t discount chemistry as a possible factor towards their title hopes. It’s what helps teams get out to fast starts and fight through adversity when down big.

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George, however, exited L.A.’s final game before the All-Star break after just 14 minutes due to a hamstring injury, marking his third such injury on the year despite his lowest per-game minutes average since his sophomore season.

Even with time off, the Clippers will continue to be cautious with PG’s nagging hamstring, likely derailing the possibility of seeing more of L.A.’s rotation at full strength — the five-man lineup of Kawhi, George, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell has only seen 48 minutes on the season.

It’s a balancing act easier said than done, where Doc Rivers wants to enter the postseason on a roll but not at the expense of L.A.’s chances upon arrival — this is to say nothing of potential playoff seeding in a brutal Western Conference.

Of course, that was a known part of the challenge facing the Clippers this season. That’s not going to make its execution any easier, which will also depend greatly on George’s health and their play in his absence.