Kawhi Leonard’s late-game viability and 4 extra Clippers issues going ahead – The Athletic

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MILWAUKEE — LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was already cautious of what lay forward for his crew after one follow earlier than the beginning of seven consecutive video games away from Intuit Dome after the NBA All-Star break.
Two years in the past, the Clippers misplaced their first 5 video games after the break. Final yr, after a number of practices earlier than the primary sport out of the break, the Clippers fell flat in Oklahoma Metropolis.
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The Clippers solely had one post-break follow earlier than Thursday’s sport in Milwaukee, however the end result was acquainted. The Bucks overcame a 93-80 deficit with 10:55 left to play to beat the Clippers 116-110. It was the third straight yr the Clippers misplaced in Milwaukee and the second straight yr they have been outscored by 15 factors within the fourth quarter towards the Bucks.
The Clippers are not the scrappy underdog with out excessive expectations or Kawhi Leonard for a single sport earlier than January. They’re the crew the Play-In Event-eligible portion of the Western Convention is attempting to take down, and they should get higher whereas on the street. The Clippers have trailed by double digits in each sport they’ve performed in February, and so they have misplaced seven video games this season after main by greater than 10 factors, matching their whole for blown losses from final season.
“I don’t know what the expectations have been, what you guys thought or have been saying,” Leonard mentioned of the Clippers being chased within the West. “However we received to take it one sport at a time and simply preserve profitable. That’s our mindset, is attempting to win every sport, and hopefully that may handle itself.”
The Clippers have three extra street video games towards the Central Division earlier than returning to the West Coast subsequent week. They don’t play a sport of their area till March 5. Thursday’s loss in Milwaukee illustrated 5 bigger-picture issues the Clippers have as they maintain onto the sixth seed within the West.
Leonard has but to overlook a sport on account of damage since debuting this season on Jan. 4 (he’s solely missed time on account of damage upkeep), and he tried a season-high 22 photographs Thursday. Leonard shall be going for his first three-game streak of 20-plus factors both Sunday at Indiana or Monday at Detroit, relying on which back-to-back he performs; Leonard mentioned he “got here out the sport all proper” Thursday and shall be “able to go for the following one.”
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After not reaching the 30-minute mark in his first 12 video games again, Leonard has now performed at the least half-hour in 4 straight video games. Lue finally needs Leonard to stand up to 36 minutes; Leonard’s minute restriction is at present at 32.
However Thursday was an unlucky use of his minutes, as he was carried out with 1:17 left to play and never within the sport on a crucial defensive possession that noticed Taurean Prince nail a dagger nook 3 following a Damian Lillard drive:
The Clippers have been outscored by 11 factors within the 3:31 Leonard was off the ground within the fourth quarter in Milwaukee — and actually, it was 14 factors, given Bogdan Bogdanović’s meaningless 3-pointer to finish the sport. Leonard is getting stronger, however he and the Clippers have a methods to go by way of optimizing his minutes general.
Getting into the fourth quarter Thursday, beginning middle Ivica Zubac had 20 factors on 8-of-13 capturing from the sphere whereas the Clippers outscored the Bucks by seven factors in Zubac’s 29:03.
He would possibly as properly have been in witness safety throughout the fourth quarter.
Zubac failed to attain and even try a single discipline objective within the fourth quarter of Thursday’s collapse. It’s the third straight sport the place Zubac hasn’t tried a fourth-quarter discipline objective, and the fifth time in six video games.
“I don’t know, attempting to determine it out,” Zubac mentioned when requested about being extra of a presence offensively in fourth quarters. He cited the Clippers going to guard-involved pick-and-rolls in fourth quarters, which tends to not solely put Zubac within the dunker spot but additionally provides opposing bigs a greater likelihood at boxing him out and retaining one of many league’s finest offensive rebounders from gaining a bonus on misses.
Ivica Zubac acknowledges that he’s attempting to determine how he might be extra concerned in 4th quarter offense
Zu common FG makes an attempt per quarter this season:
– 3.0 in 1st
– 3.0 in 2nd
– 3.2 in third
– 2.3 ⚠️ in 4th (zero tonight at Milwaukee) pic.twitter.com/jWtA1rIdHT
— Regulation Murray 🔄 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 21, 2025

Lue mentioned Zubac had success on putbacks and rolling into deep place, and the presence of Milwaukee middle Brook Lopez discouraged the Clippers from posting Zubac as usually. The Bucks additionally went to a zone protection, which may take away pick-and-roll choices. However it shouldn’t be that simple to remove the highest inside menace on the Clippers roster.
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The speak throughout the All-Star break was how Powell ought to have had an opportunity to take part in Sunday’s All-Star event together with Clippers level guard James Harden. Powell needed to accept a exhibiting in Saturday evening’s 3-point contest.
After the break, it was revealed that Powell is coping with left knee soreness. He dressed for Wednesday’s follow in Milwaukee and was initially off the provision report, however Powell was a game-day downgrade to questionable Thursday and was dominated out earlier than the sport.
Right here is Tyronn Lue explaining Norman Powell’s knee soreness. It feels like a difficulty that they hoped would have calmed down on the All-Star break, however Powell wants some extra time.
Again-to-back Sunday and Monday, so participant availability and rotation stability already a priority. pic.twitter.com/j6AWNR90sJ
— Regulation Murray 🔄 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 20, 2025

The hope is Powell shall be able to go sooner or later on this journey, however he was missed Thursday, and the Clippers have now misplaced the 5 straight video games Powell has missed, with the final win coming Nov. 27 on the Washington Wizards. Even that sport required Harden to drop 43 factors by three quarters. Powell’s absence places plenty of stress on Harden to attain with effectivity and quantity, and Harden faltered within the fourth quarter in Milwaukee, compiling as many turnovers (three) as discipline objective makes an attempt and factors within the ultimate body.
Along with Leonard’s return, the Clippers have 5 gamers on the crew who have been added in February. Three of them didn’t play in Milwaukee: former Buck MarJon Beauchamp, and former Utah Jazz gamers Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks, who’s wholesome once more after spraining his ankle earlier than the All-Star break.
The important thing addition for the Clippers is Bogdanović, who discovered his 3-point stroke Thursday. However Powell’s damage rocks a beginning lineup that already has to brace for an upcoming sport with out Leonard because of the back-to-back. Lue is again to shuffling between beginning Kris Dunn or Derrick Jones Jr. now that Dunn is wholesome and has recovered from his brutal 3-point hunch.
Lue is also attempting to maintain Amir Coffey concerned; Coffey received the beginning nod in Powell’s place Thursday, and Coffey was Lillard’s chosen sufferer on a number of three-shot fouls that helped disintegrate the Clippers’ management of the sport. Pretty much as good as Bogdanović’s 3-point capturing was, he wasn’t nearly as good at creating offense as the person he changed in LA’s second unit, Kevin Porter Jr. Lineup inconsistency has been a difficulty for the Clippers for a number of weeks, however an enormous a part of fixing that’s having gamers carry out higher as properly.
I requested Lue earlier than Thursday’s sport if he would let new backup level middle Ben Simmons shoot outdoors of the paint. Lue’s reply prompt he had no issues if Simmons is keen to shoot with confidence.
Tyronn Lue mentioned tonight that it’ll take level middle Ben Simmons 8-10 video games to see how T Lue needs to make use of him and the way he’ll match everybody else.
So that may go into the 2nd weekend of March.
I additionally requested Tyronn Lue if he would let Ben Simmons shoot outdoors the paint…
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— Regulation Murray 📘 (@lawmurraythenu.bsky.social) February 20, 2025 at 4:03 PM

For Simmons to be efficient, he doesn’t have to shoot it. We all know what Simmons will and gained’t do offensively. However the Clippers have a restricted window to determine which lineups work for Simmons, particularly since Simmons will not be cleared to play in back-to-backs. Thursday was the primary time Simmons and Leonard performed in the identical sport, and whereas Simmons wasn’t unhealthy towards the Bucks, a number of the lineups have been.
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When Simmons was an influence ahead alongside Zubac, Harden, Jones and Coffey, the Clippers have been outscored 3-0. With Simmons at level guard subsequent to Dunn, Jones, Leonard and Zubac, the Clippers have been outscored 4-2. Simmons ran level subsequent to Bogdanović, Jones, Leonard and Zubac for a few minutes, and the Clippers have been outscored 5-2. The worst lineup was once more with Simmons at energy ahead with Zubac on the ground alongside Harden, Bogdanović and Jones. That five-man lineup was outscored 13-7 in three minutes.
That’s simply over six minutes of Simmons being on the ground in lineups that have been outscored by 14 factors. The widespread thread was Simmons being on the ground with Zubac. The one constructive lineup with Simmons and Zubac sharing the ground was when Simmons first subbed in for Leonard to play with the remainder of the starters at energy ahead, an association that noticed the Clippers outscore the Bucks 8-6.
Moreover that, Simmons’ finest minutes have been at middle whereas Nicolas Batum was on the ground. The Clippers saw that work in last week’s comeback at Utah, and that’s what the Clippers doubtless have to lean into extra to get essentially the most out of Simmons.
“It’s one other man who can playmake, can guard, rebound, play one by 5,” Leonard mentioned of enjoying with Simmons. “It’s going to take time, and we received to remain affected person and get higher.”
(Photograph of Kawhi Leonard: Stacy Revere / Getty Pictures)
Law Murray is a employees author for The Athletic protecting the LA Clippers. Previous to becoming a member of The Athletic, he was an NBA editor at ESPN, a researcher at NFL Media and a contributor to DrewLeague.com and ClipperBlog. Regulation is from Philadelphia, Pa., and is a graduate of California College of Pennsylvania and the College of Southern California. Comply with Regulation on Twitter @LawMurrayTheNU

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