The LA Clippers dropped their fifth straight game against the Philadelphia 76ers and fell to a 36-39 record. Though they are (seemingly?) locked into the 8th seed, there is a glimpse of optimism. Recently, forward Paul George participated in practice. Marking his first action since his initial elbow injury in December. Norman Powell is also out of his walking boot and did some shooting with the team. Although they are not peaking at the right time, there is hope on the horizon for this team as they look to regain talent.
LA Clippers Future is Full of Hope
It’s been a tough stretch for the Clippers as of late. The rest advantage improved but the strength of the opponent increased as the schedule trudged on. It’s justified that the Clippers lost their last five, as they are outmatched in every matchup. Some losses saw valiant efforts, like the 120-111 loss in overtime to the Cleveland Cavaliers. And the 103-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors at home. But the past few games have been a different story. Losses to the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, and Philadelphia 76ers looked as if the team was losing some steam.
“Looks like it a little bit, yeah”, Ty Lue said when asked about the team running out of gas. “Some guys [are] a little fatigued,” Isaiah Hartenstein said after the 76ers loss.
But hope is still on the horizon. With George recently becoming a participant in practice and Powell progressing, there is hope that the reinforcements can ease the workload that the team is taking on. There were even more promising signs as George went through a pre-game workout before the 76ers game. The first time since December. Players were visibly happy with George’s presence again with the team, given by the team’s social media posts.
With only a handful of games remaining, the Clippers could use some reinforcements to relieve the workload. In addition to the potential returns of George and Powell, Andrew Greif of the LA Times reported that the Clippers converted Amir Coffey’s two-way contract into a standard NBA contract. This was a result of the team signing guard Xavier Moon from the Agua Caliente Clippers to a two-way contract and will result in the waiving of Semi Ojeleye.
Moon showed some promise in his downhill attack, off-the-dribble scoring, and mid-range game in his short stint with the Clippers when players landed in health and safety protocols. Moon’s presence should relieve some of the workloads of Reggie Jackson, who has been playing his heart out all season. Even if he does not play since Terance Mann is taking more backup point guard reps, he will serve as a safety net in case they need him or some extra juice off the bench.
Things are starting to look up for the Clippers as they look to get more guys back. But they are not out of the woods yet. The schedule is not very friendly, and the New Orleans Pelicans are playing good basketball lately. The Los Angeles Lakers cannot be overlooked as well, considering they have LeBron James and are queuing a potential return for Anthony Davis. While some see the eighth seed as a lock, it will certainly be something to monitor as the season concludes.
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