Re-grading the OKC Thunder Paul George trade – one season later

Trade effect on LA Clippers one-year later

As 22 teams prepare to head to Orlando Paul George and Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers are considered by most analysts the prohibitive favorites to win the title.  However, this stance has been greatly affected by the hiatus and subsequent roster shifts by their LA counterparts.

To wit, although the Lakers have essentially tied up the top seed in the West they’ll arrive in Orlando without the services of starting defensive specialist Avery Bradley and potentially Dwight Howard.

In comparison, Steve Ballmer’s squad has spared no expense with deadline deals and the late-season additions of Marcus Morris, former OKC Thunder malcontent Reggie Jackson and Joakim Noah to bolster their already deep squad.

While the Clippers have demonstrated their ability to dominate on both sides of the hardwood their core hasn’t had much opportunity to gel between Leonard’s load management, George’s lingering shoulder recovery, and hamstring issues plus the hiatus.

Despite the smorgasbord of depth, the hiatus prevented time for the Clippers to figure out lineups and where everyone best fit.

Our recent article revisited the trade 60 games into the Clippers season and four games prior to the pandemic halting play. George has missed 22 games due to his shoulder recovery and ongoing injuries.