Los Angeles Clippers Roster 2020 Clippers Roster

2019-2020 Los Angeles Clippers Roster Top 3 Questions

Are They the Best Team in the West?

The Clippers were one of the most enjoyable stories of last season, exceeding all expectations by winning 48 games despite being counted out by many multiple times. They won’t be entering this season as underdogs however, as this team is now a juggernaut. There really isn't a single critical weakness on their roster, top to bottom. They can field one of the best starting lineups in the league with Leonard and George, while still having the luxury to send out Montrezl Harrel and reigning sixth man of the year Lou Williams to once again terrorize benches. That’s borderline unfair, and there’s still more. Patrick Beverley is one of the best 3 and D players in the league, Landry Shamet is a perfect fit in the Clippers system with his sweet stroke, and Ivica Zubac is a promising young big man that allows them to play with size. Last but not least, Jamychal Green and Maurice Harkless are two forwards off the bench that can adequately fill in for Leonard and George to let them get a breather. This team is stacked up front and has incredible depth, something which almost no other team can claim in the league.

How Much Will They be Able to let Their Stars Rest?

A large part of what let Kawhi dominate the playoffs was the fact that he was able to rest 22 games in the regular season. On the flip side, part of what led to the Thunders late season and playoff struggles was that George was clearly not 100 percent down the stretch. The biggest reason was his shoulder injury, but it’s likely his fatigue exacerbated the injury. He wasn’t able to rest that much at all in the regular season and it led to a swift exit in the playoffs. Unlike that Thunder squad and very similar to Kawhi’s Raptors squad, this Clippers team is incredibly deep and prepared to handle stretches without both. In fact, the Clippers might be able to let both stars rest for 20 plus games and still enter the playoffs with a high seed. The fact that they have Harrell, Shamet, and Williams under contract for less than 20 million combined is criminal and speaks to their depth. Look for this Clippers squad to not only play extended stretches without one or either star, but also succeed in those stretches.

Can the Clippers Shake off their Own Stigma?

As incredible as the Clippers organizational turnaround has been in the past decade, they still have an unfortunate reputation. Although they’ve become one of the most stable, well run teams in the league, the fact that they’ve yet to even make the conference finals looms large. Sharing a city with the historic Lakers doesn’t do them any favors as well. The Lob City Clippers of a couple years ago had promise, but they weren’t able to get over that hump in the end. Because of their failures, a lot of people seem to take a skeptical approach to the Clippers. They’ve always been a little brother to the Lakers, and with the Lakers also positioned to be an elite team, that won’t change soon. Still, the Clippers could help themselves by punching the Lakers in the mouth and finally claiming a championship of their own. It wouldn’t completely make up for decades of dysfunction, but it would at least force the rest of league to acknowledge and respect their growth as an organization.