While Clippers Nation and other parts of the NBA world await the return of star Kawhi Leonard, his teammates haven’t been sitting idly while his right knee recovers.
They have won games that they had no business winning and are taking care of games that they should win – all without their star player. The Clippers are 18-13 and have a chance to improve upon that during a three-game trip that begins Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Kawhi?
“We’re not thinking about Kawhi coming back yet,” center Ivica Zubac said, in a moment of honesty.
When Leonard does return – Jan. 4 reportedly is a good bet – he will find a Clippers team that has developed a solid chemistry, come to rely on James Harden for leadership and Norman Powell for points and built a reputation for stingy defense.
“We want to win games, we want to win every game no matter who’s out there and we got it done,” Zubac added. “No matter how it looks, we gotta win. We’re going to play hard; we’re going to defend.
“Some nights we’re not going to shoot well, or we’re not going to defend, but one thing we can do every night is play defense. That’s what this team is going to do, we’re going to play hard and play tough on the defensive end and that’s going to give us a chance to win.’
With or without Leonard.
“We just focus on what we can control and be in the moment,” Harden said. “Whenever that happens, (we’ll) get to that bridge when it comes. But we’re focused on the next game and the games that we’re in.”
Don’t mistake the players’ insouciant attitude for not caring about their superstar teammate. They want Leonard back but can’t get caught up in the hoopla and speculation. They have at least three more games to play without Leonard, who stayed behind to get in more reps before the Clippers’ next home game.
“It’s been next man up all year,” said Powell, who is averaging 24.4 points and shooting 46.6% from the 3-point range in Leonard’s absence. “When Kawhi comes back, they’ll figure it out. That’s not our job. Our job is to figure out our new roles and make it all work.
“We all are pulling in the same direction. We all continue trying to prove everybody wrong and how they view us, and the job is to be ready for a deep playoff run. That’s how we see it.”
When Leonard does return, (Jan. 4 has been rumored) there certainly will be changes in the lineup, players will need to sacrifice either minutes, points or both.
“Everybody’s going to have to sacrifice and Kawhi comes back,” Powell added. “I mean, he’s a franchise player, but good thing about this team is we have no egos. We all want to win. We all got something to prove and we’re doing it together.”
Harden said Leonard is aware how his comeback could upset what has been building all season. But the veteran point guard believes Leonard’s return will be seamless. The Clippers will continue to play aggressive defense and attack the basket.
“We’re still going to put it the same way. It’s just now we got another elite weapon on both ends of the floor, so it’s definitely a bonus for us.”
