The Clippers are currently in the midst of one of the strangest stories in the NBA playoffs. The team was expected to get a healthy Kawhi Leonard during their series against the Dallas Mavericks, but instead, the two-time Finals MVP was injured again. Surprisingly, the team won both games in which Kawhi did not play, and lost both games in which Kawhi played.
Now, the big question is what the Clippers should do and when if Kawhi Leonard is able to return.
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal says Paul George and James Harden have to tell Kawhi Leonard that if he wants to return while injured, he will have to postpone.
“When PG and James play well, they're very hard to beat,” Shaq said on Inside the NBA. “If he comes back, you don't follow him. You say, 'Yeah, I've got to go back to being my buddy from Spurs. I've got to be a role player. We're going to do what we've got to do. If we do it,' he just happened to kick it at the end…he's injured and he's not 100%, but the game proves that if PG and Harden play the way they play, we win the game. “It has been done.”
Surprisingly, Charles Barkley agreed with Shaq's opinion. They usually don't agree on everything said, but they agreed on this one.
“I don't understand why James and Paul aren't doing anything now that Kawhi is back,” Barkley said. “They just stand there and watch him play. Their mentality, in my opinion, is 'Kawhi's not 100%, let's do what he did in Game 1 and Game 4.' It should be.'' When he came back for Games 2 and 3, it was night and day. ”
The Clippers-Mavericks series is currently tied at 2-2, with a crucial Game 5 to be played in Los Angeles. If the Clippers can win this game without Kawhi, it will say a lot about how good the current team is. If the Mavericks can't win this game without Kawhi on the court, it will say even more about how far they are from actual competition.
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