When Kawhi Leonard and Paul George signed up with the Los Angeles Clippers lasts summer, the team became an early favorite to win the NBA title this season. At the very least, the Clippers are expected to meet the Los Angeles Lakers in an epic Western Conference final showdown. But none of these scenarios will play out.
Despite the Leonard-George tandem and a solid roster, the Clippers failed in their attempt to reach the NBA Finals this year. The semifinals battle with the Denver Nuggets looked like an easy win with the LA club erecting a 3-1 lead in the series. But the Nuggets came back to win the last three games and denied the Clippers a shot at the NBA title.
That fateful series will determine how the Clippers will go about for the next campaign. The organization has already confirmed that Doc Rivers will stay as head coach but the lineup will see an overhaul, possibly a major movement that will see players departing.
That's exactly the claim made by former NBA star Kendrick Perkins. According to Clutch Points, Perkins is predicting a break up of the Clippers roster in the weeks to come.
"The Clippers are going to break this up, whether you like it or not. I heard from an inside source they are going to break this up," Perkins was reported as saying.
The big man went on to say that Reggie Jackson, Montrezl Harrell, and Lou Williams will not return next season. All three were expected to support Leonard and George and deliver big time but they fell short of the minimal expectations.
Perkins said: "None of those guys provided the production that the Clippers needed."
To be fair, Leonard and the rest of the crew did great this season. The Clippers ended the regular season as No. 2 seed in the west and the playoff games looked to be rising momentum for the game. Round one ended as pictured and the Nuggets appeared an easy conquest in the semis.
It turned out, however, that the Nuggets were the better team. LeBron James said he watched the series and concluded the more determined squad earned the ticket to the Western Conference finals.
"Very resilient, very confident, very driven, very well-coached team," Yahoo Sports reported the Lakers superstar as saying. James was offering his view that what the Nuggets have accomplished is no easy feat.
Before clashing with the Clippers, Denver faced off with Utah Jazz and on that series, the latter gained the upper hand early at 3-1. But the Nuggets overcame to get past the Jazz and did the same to kick the Clippers out of the playoffs.
James said he only has a high level of respect for the incredible run being shown by the Denver Nuggets.
