Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
A healthy combination of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, along with the addition of Russell Westbrook were supposed to reopen the Los Angeles Clippers’ championship window this season. Instead, injuries completely took them in stride and derailed their championship hopes.
George went down with knee sprain in a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 21, causing the Clippers swingman to miss the rest of the regular season and the NBA playoffs. Not too long, Leonard injured his right knee during their playoff series against the Phoenix Suns and was eventually ruled out after the first two games.
Despite the Clippers’ best efforts to compete with an injured squad, the Suns prevailed in Game 5 to secure a 4-1 win. Reflecting on the injury-riddled season, George now made it clear that they would’ve beaten the Suns if they didn’t get injured.
“This was very much a series I think we should have won and could have gotten past if we [were] healthy. Absolutely I believe we had everything to beat Phoenix. It’s frustrating, especially as years go up, you look back at this shit and, like damn, another year – not necessarily wasted – but another year of not getting a chance to compete. To get to the finish line and not be able to compete is the hardest part of it all.”
