Los Angeles Clippers: Two seasons full of what-ifs

The Los Angeles Clippers ended another season asking themselves one simple question that has marked the Kawhi Leonard/Paul George era: What if?

The resilient run by the Los Angeles Clippers came to an end. They couldn’t handle Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns, losing to them in the Western Conference Finals in six games. LA’s playoff run was a memorable one, being the only team in NBA history to win two series after being down 0-2. Unfortunately, they just ran out of gas against a talented Suns group.

After the game, Paul George explained how he believes the series would still be going on if his superstar teammate Kawhi Leonard played. Leonard missed the Clippers’ last eight games because of a right knee sprain. George essentially asked a question surrounding this team during the Kawhi/PG-13 era: What if?

There’s no question that this team has been built for a championship these past two seasons, but unfortunate events have derailed them. So, as an offseason looms where things could drastically change for the franchise, let’s run through the what-ifs the Clippers had the past couple of seasons.

Season One: What if the Clippers didn’t choke? What if Kawhi and PG had more chemistry and more.

The big what-if that has stuck with the LA Clippers is what if they didn’t choke after being up 3-1 against the Denver Nuggets? Last year, in the NBA bubble, they looked primed for a date with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The matchup everyone wanted to see — LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard in the battle of LA for a trip to the Finals. All they had to do was win one of the next three games.

Many know how the story goes after this.

The Nuggets came back from a 3-1 deficit led by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. They won the series and sent the Clippers home shocked and disappointed. What if LA was able to reach the conference finals and face the Lakers?

It’s very possible that they could’ve not only reached the Finals but won it. The Clippers gave the Lakers trouble all year, splitting their regular-season series 2-2. The defensive blockade of Patrick Beverly, George and Leonard proved to affect James in some capacity. In a seven-game series, the Clippers had a legit shot of knocking off the top-seeded Lakers in 2019-20. The Miami Heat team was a team of destiny, but they wouldn’t have beaten LA in a series.

Another thing to ponder for the 2019-20 Clippers is what if the entire team gained more chemistry before the playoffs? Injuries and load management prevented George, Leonard, and others from playing together consistently. That came back to bite them in the playoffs with miscommunication and sloppy turnovers. A few extra games of everybody playing together could’ve been the difference for them, especially late in the season.

A final hypothetical to consider is what if Paul George played how he did this postseason in the bubble last year? He was sensational for the majority of the playoffs, stepping up his game while Kawhi was out. LA wouldn’t have made it to the conference finals without PG-13. If he played this well in the bubble, who knows where the Clippers would’ve ended up. It’s very likely to have ended in a championship.

The 2019-20 season was disappointing, but 2020-21 was supposed to be the year for LA. Kawhi and George have a year playing together under their belt (sort of); they made key additions in Serge Ibaka and Rajon Rondo in the middle of the year. Now was the time for the Clippers to win a title.

Season Two: What if Kawhi and others didn’t get hurt? What if they weren’t down 0-2 so many times?

The Clippers entered the 2020-21 season as one of the favorites to win it all. They finished fourth in the West and went seven games with the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. They were down 0-2 in that series, fell 0-2 in the second round against the Utah Jazz, and a third time in the conference finals against the Suns. What if they didn’t put themselves at huge disadvantages to start their series?

Coming back from 0-2 is possible, but it requires almost mistake-free basketball, on top of winning four games against quality teams. It takes a lot of effort, and it took its toll on the Clippers. In Game 6 against Phoenix, they seemed completely worn out and just tired from the uphill climb. If they didn’t have to dig themselves out of 0-2 holes, things could be different; maybe the series is still going on as George said.

That brings us to the big question mark of the Clippers season — what if Kawhi Leonard doesn’t get hurt? Obviously, the team missed their superstar forward, and things could’ve played out much differently if he was on the floor against the Suns. That would be another body on Devin Booker, another 30.4 points per game for LA’s offense (given his postseason average), and a steady presence in tight moments. The Suns are an excellent defensive team, but it would’ve been challenging for them to contain both Leonard and George in a seven-game series.

Ibaka also missed the postseason because of back surgery, and Ivac Zubac missed Game 6 with an MCL sprain. Zubac’s impact on the Clippers has been profound, and Ibaka’s presence would’ve helped on defense. If LA had all of their pieces available, there could’ve been a Game 7 in Phoenix or no game at all because the Clippers could’ve beaten the Suns before that.

Heading into the 2021 offseason, there is another what-if that could end up changing the team dynamic.

2021 Offseason: What if Kawhi Leonard declines his player option?

The Clippers could bring back many of the same faces they had this season. Nine of the players on the roster who played the Suns are under contract for next year. Serge Ibaka has a player option, but that not the one decision that the team is worried about — it’s Kawhi Leonard’s.

He also has a player option he can decline, which means he could test the free-agent waters if he wanted. There haven’t been any rumblings on Kawhi leaving, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Having the star power he has and the underwhelming results in Los Angeles, he could leave to join or start another superteam elsewhere. Losing Leonard would be a critical blow to a Clippers team that gave up multiple draft picks to bring in his running mate George at his request.

The likely scenario is that Kawhi will decline the player option to re-sign with the team for more money. He could average a salary of $44 million over four years if he re-signs with the team, compared to $43.5 over five years if he accepts his player option and extends his contract, per ESPN.

The Los Angeles Clippers could be in a completely different position if a few scenarios went a different way the last two years. Nevertheless, they sit at the end of their season wondering what could’ve been and what will become of the team in 2021-22. Kawhi has another big decision to make, and it could change the landscape of the Clippers and the NBA.