While Kawhi Leonard Struggles to Find Form, Paul George Goes Ballistic vs Nikola Jokic-Less Nuggets

The Los Angeles Clippers are entering the season under immense scrutiny, mostly due to their superstars. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George failing to win a championship together, the expectations are high for them. Amidst the pressure, the two icons found themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum in their pre-season game.

Against a Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets side, George went ballistic with a dominant display. Kawhi still found it difficult to find his scoring form against the defending champions.

A closer look at the performances of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George

In the third preparation game ahead of the season, the Clippers hosted the Nuggets at the Crypto.com Arena. PG13 put on a show on the home court as he gathered 23 points by the end of the first half. In slightly over 18 minutes, he went 9/13 from the field goal, scoring one three-pointer and four free throws.

The 33-year-old contributed on the defensive end too, with five defensive rebounds in the first two quarters. The Denver side failed to contain the backcourt maestro of the LA side as they entered halftime with a 60-51 lead. With the 8-time All-Star running the show for his team, the other superstar of the team struggled to score baskets.

From five field goal attempts, Leonard made two 3-pointers to end the half with a total of 7 points. The two-time champion’s off-day continued after he failed to meet expectations in the previous games. With 11 points and 16 points in the first two matches of the pre-season, the forward has not been at his very best.

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With George serving as a potent threat, Kawhi is going through a relatively slow start. This makes us wonder about one thing.

How could the two superstars combine?

The head coach, Tyronn Lue, is certainly attempting to find the best possible role for the icons ahead of a new campaign. Despite registering a low score, Leonard had a plus-minus of +14 in the first half. The duo divided their responsibility in their own ways as they contributed based on their assigned roles.

They are playing more minutes this time around to integrate themselves better with the team. Keeping the injury concerns in mind, both were swapped out at halftime as the Clippers won back-to-back matches. Their eventual aim still remains the same: winning the title together.

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Can they make it happen for their fans? Let us know in the comments below.