Steve Ballmer’s squad has got another tag in their bad books! The Los Angeles Clippers have been the center of condemnation as they let go of Paul George in the free agency this summer. Don’t assume that it was the sole reason why Steve Ballmer’s squad is facing challenges. A part of that credit also goes to Kawhi Leonard and his injury woes that worsened things. It was not like he missed most of the 2023-24 regular season games. But he missed the crucial ones at the end of the Clippers‘ season run. With everything going downhill,

Appearing on the Locked On Mavericks podcast, host Nick Angstadt raised the burning issue. “The Clippers’ five years need to be talked about as a bigger failure than the KD, Kyrie, Harden, Nets, or some of these big-time failures.” It was not the end of the criticism from Nick as he addressed one of the biggest buzzing failures.

“This duo gets together Kawhi and George, and they trade all this stuff for basically to get both of them to come in. They played five seasons together, they had the sixth best record in the regular season in those five years, Which is not indicative of having two MVP type players bigger failure than the KD, Kyrie, Nets, “ Nick added to his Clippers’ diss.

Actually, the Nets assembled greats of the game, like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden, together. Just when fans hoped that the Nets would make an impact, they fell hard. Their attempt to get the result from the Superteam did not work. Due to the injuries, they could not surpass the second round of playoffs, surrendering to the Bucks.

With the same intent, Steve Ballmer put Paul George and Kawhi Leonard together in 2019, hoping for the squad’s turnover. However, despite the star duo assembling, they could not get close to the championship beyond the Western Conference Finals. In 2021, the injuries on the squad ruined their chances to clinch the NBA championship. And guess who was the USP of failure, none other than Ballmer’s best bet, Kawhi!

How did Steve Ballmer’s hopes for Kawhi Leonard contribute to the Clippers’ failure?

It was more about the Clippers’ downfall in the 2021 postseason from the inside rather than any external factors. Kawhi Leonard was averaging 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists through 11 games into the playoffs. Just when everything was going well, Leonard tweaked his knee in Game 4 of the WC Semi-Finals. It happened on a fastbreak against Jazz during the fourth quarter. They won the game and the series.

However, the events that followed showcased the impact of Kawhi Leonard. When the Clippers met the Miami Heat in the WC Finals, it was not the same without the 6x NBA All-Star. And it’s not only about 2021. Even during the last season, Kawhi missed the last 8 games during the previous regular season. As expected, it was due to his right knee inflammation.

He has gone through the surgery as well. But still, it is haunting Kawhi and Clippers’ championship ambitions. Will this fate for the LA squad continue, or they’re going to overturn it? Let’s check your premonition!

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger