Placing 4 All-Star veterans on the one staff was at all times going to be a raffle and Kawhi and James Harden have spoken truthfully in regards to the influence of PG-13 going to Philly and Russ touchdown in Denver.
For Kawhi, he hasn’t identified life on the Clippers with out his operating mate George, since they each arrived in LA in 2019.
When requested how George’s absence would influence him, Leonard was very candid along with his reply.
“I imply, clearly he made issues simpler on the court docket,” Leonard stated. “However so far as my psychological focus going into the sport, I don’t really feel prefer it’s gonna be tougher for me personally.”
Kawhi continued, “I don’t have a look at him to be my savior. I soak up my very own function and my challenges that I’ve to face every recreation and, you recognize, go in there and attempt to dominate the sport. So, with that being stated, my mindset goes to vary in that approach.”
Harden was additionally fairly trustworthy in talking in regards to the departure of George and Westbrook, and admitted it was onerous to accommodate all 4 stars on the one staff.
“Aggressive. Aggressive,” Harden stated. “We tried final yr to the place, you recognize making an attempt determine it out and guys and their roles. It’s form of troublesome if you received excessive caliber gamers or Corridor of Famers and mainly the identical place, everybody making an attempt to determine their roles out. It was fairly troublesome, however this yr for me I received a transparent house for what I must be doing.”
Paul George signed with the 76ers as a free agent, which means the Clippers in the end elected to let him stroll for nothing. Steve Ballmer defined that the NBA’s new wage cap restrictions had the staff a little bit hamstrung.
However, contemplating LAC traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and 5 first-round picks, plus two swaps going to Oklahoma Metropolis for George in 2019, it’s loopy to suppose they’re nonetheless paying the value as we speak.
