The LA Clippers came into this season with zero expectations. After losing Paul George for nothing in free agency, Kawhi Leonard out for the start of the year with a knee injury, and the oldest roster in the NBA, the Clippers had lottery-bound written all over them.
LA surpassed expectations, led by James Harden and Leonard, as they earned the fifth seed in the Western Conference and generated dark horse buzz entering the postseason. They fell short, losing to the Denver Nuggets in seven games and were likely an Aaron Gordon dunk away from winning that series.
The Clippers and disappointment seem to go hand in hand during this time of year, but for the first time in a couple years, things are looking up for them. They head into the offseason with flexibility to make moves and upgrade their roster around Leonard and Harden. Here are three things the Clippers must accomplish this offseason.
3. Upgrade their bench
LA’s starters were amazing all season. Leonard, Powell, Harden, and Zubac are some of the four best players to have in a starting unit due to the unique blend of scoring and defense. The problem is the Clippers reserves.
The Clippers’ bench averaged only 24 points per game off the bench in the playoffs and not a single reserve player averaged more than seven PPG. It led to LA’s doom, as their starters had a lot of offense to generate and were often left gassed at the ends of games.
Fortunately, the Clippers have their $14 million dollar mid level exception to use and other smaller trade exceptions they have access to. They can create more room if they renounce the rights of a couple players, but more reliable reserves should be their top priority with this flexibility.
Guys like Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr, D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, and Malcolm Brogdon are targets LA should consider to upgrade their bench unit. A bounce back from Bogdan Bogdanovic will also help the bench, but the Clippers need more.
2. Sign James Harden and Norman Powell to contract extensions
Harden and Powell were integral parts of the Clippers’ success this year. Harden earned another All-NBA nod in his age-35 season and Powell had the best year of his career (22 PPG on 48/42 shooting splits) and was well on his way to an All-Star selection and Most Improved Player before suffering a hamstring injury in the second half of the year.
Both players had an up and down series against the Nuggets, but that shouldn’t stop them from being rewarded with extensions. With Leonard under contract for the next two seasons, LA should align Harden and Powell’s extensions with his to ensure maximum flexibility.
Harden has taken team-friendly deals on his last two contracts and Powell won’t get a max deal, so expect these extensions to get done very quickly.
1. Make sure Kawhi Leonard makes it through the offseason healthy
For the first time in years, Leonard will have a healthy offseason. Having him on the court makes the Clippers one of the best teams in the West and the entire organization needs to make sure he stays healthy for the summer, so he can play on Opening Night.
Leonard showed against Denver that he has a lot left in the tank as a playoff performer. He averaged 25/8/5 on 54 percent shooting and 41 percent from three. It was the best he has looked in the playoffs in a Clippers uniform. Building on that for next season is paramount.
The West is going to be tough once again next year and LA is going to need Leonard healthy in order to compete. Having a plan to keep him healthy and fresh for an entire season and playoff run next year needs to be at the top of the Clippers’ list this offseason.