“Dumbest S**t I’ve Ever Heard”: LA Coach Slams Narratives Surrounding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George After Playoff Heartbreak

The Los Angeles Clippers made a historic offseason move in 2019. The franchise signed two major NBA superstars in succession. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard changed the landscape of the league by signing with the Clippers, one after the other. The idea of the two teaming up seemed like a championship hack. They took the NBA world by storm playing together, with an incredible 96-46 record. However, their stint together has still led only to disappointing playoff runs, their time in Los Angeles being plagued by injuries.

After yet another injury-plagued playoff run in 2023, the Clippers found themselves eliminated in the very first round. This performance was highlighted by the Clippers’ coach during an interview.

The Clippers’ coach slams Kawhi Leonard-Paul George narratives

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George seemed like a guaranteed championship-bound duo when they teamed up. However, the two barely played together when it mattered the most. They could never stay fit enough to compete alongside each other in deep playoff runs, often falling prey to injuries. The Clippers’ coach, Tyron Lue, voiced his opinion on this narrative in a recent interview.

Lue talked about the Clippers’ playoff runs where one or the other of the two superstars missed out due to injury. “It’s been tough, you know, it’s been frustrating,” he stated.

He further added, “We feel like we have the potential to win a championship. We have all the pieces, all the right pieces and we have two great stars, like PG and Kawhi are two of the best stars I’ve ever been around.” He also spoke about the two superstars’ character, saying, “Two-way players but not a headache…you can go to those guys and ask for anything, they’ll do it.”

Lue, however, went on to address the narratives surrounding them. “It’s just unfortunate because, everybody hear the word load management and they kind of give those guys a hard time…these are real significant injuries…it’s not a thing where they’re sitting out of load management in the playoffs – like that’s the dumbest s**t I’ve ever heard,” he emphasized.

READ MORE: ‘I Was Thinking of the Worst’: Clippers’ Paul George Opens Up on Kawhi Leonard’s Horrid Injury

Regardless of the narratives, however, the duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George now has a long NBA season to prove its credibility.

George and Leonard have a long road ahead

Paul George and Kawhi Leonard entered the Clippers franchise as their greatest hope for a championship. The duo boasted extraordinary playoff experience, with Leonard winning a championship with the Toronto Raptors just a year prior. However, their injuries have turned several promising seasons together into disappointments.

Kawhi Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 season due to injury, which saw the Clippers get eliminated in the play-in tournament. Then came a bigger disappointment in the 2022-23 playoffs.

The Clippers made a significant move last season to pair former MVP Russell Westbrook with the duo. However, with Paul George out for the first round of the playoffs, Leonard had a major responsibility on his shoulders. Unfortunately, after just two games in the playoffs, Leonard sustained an injury too. The Clippers eventually lost the playoff series, getting eliminated in the very first round.

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The duo, however, share an impressive record in the playoffs while playing together. With the added services of Westbrook, the Clippers look like contenders again. The superstar duo will have to stay healthy to make use of the strong roster and prove the doubters wrong.

Will Paul George and Kawhi Leonard stay fit this season? Will the Clippers make a championship run? Share your thoughts in the comments below!