Getty Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Ivica Zubac and other Clippers during a game on February 7, 2024.
Draymond Green could be running into the Clippers in this year’s playoffs, but the Warriors star — with his media hat on — has assessed his rival team’s chances to win a championship this year.
Speaking on “The Draymond Green Show” alongside Jamal Crawford, Green explained why the Ty Lue-led team has the requisite tools to win this year’s NBA Championship.
“They have everything,” Green said on February 20. “They have a Hall of Fame point guard [James Harden], a Hall of Fame shooting guard [Paul George], a Hall of Fame small forward [Kawhi Leonard] and another Hall of Famer coming off the bench [Russell Westbrook].”
“And a Hall of Fame coach in Tye Lue,” Crawford chimed in, to a nod from Green.
Green broke down why the Clippers fulfill the other requirements of a championship roster, be it gritty role players such as Ivaca Zubac and Mason Plumlee, or microwave scorers off the bench.
“They got Norman Powell off the bench, who’s scoring the basketball at a very high clip. They got role players — I think they have a lot. Now, health is obviously the key, but I think they have everything you need to compete for a championship.”
Clippers Have Players Hungry for Their First Ring
More than anything, Green feels most players on the Clippers — with the exception of Leonard — have much to prove to enrich their legacies. In the past, the likes of George, Westbrook and Harden have come under immense scrutiny for their postseason woes.
“They are starving,” Green said. “And guess what? Most of those guys are way closer to the end of their [careers] than the beginning. So, they know, ‘This is probably my best and last chance.'”
As strange as Green assessing the Clippers’ title chances sounds, active NBA players speaking on their opponents is the new norm. Besides Green, the likes of Paul George, CJ McCollom, Trae Young and Kevin Durant have routinely expressed their views on everyday NBA matters through their respective podcasts.
Can the Clippers Clinch the No. 1 Seed?
Green isn’t alone in giving the Clippers a chance to win their first championship in franchise history. According to oddsmakers in Las Vegas, the Clippers (+525) have the third-shortest odds to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June, per BETMGM, behind only title favorites Celtics (+260) and Nuggets (+450).
To simplify their path to a title, the Clippers would benefit immensely from securing home advantage in the playoffs, especially while going up against teams such as Minnesota and Denver. The Nuggets, especially, are nearly unbeatable playing in altitude. The Nikola Jokic-led team went 11-2 at home en route to a title last year.
Since December 1, 2023, the Clippers (36-17) have maintained the league-best record of 28-7, and if they continue to rack up wins at that pace, the No. 1 seed should be within their grasp. Currently, they sit just two games behind the Timberwolves (39-16) and half a game behind the Thunder (37-17).
This is the first time since 2013 that the Clippers (36-17) have had a top-five record at the All-Star break.
But can they be even better the rest of the way?
There’s a lot of work ahead, writes @LawMurrayTheNU: t.co/rlRLqAgBu1
With the All-Star break in the rearview mirror, the Clippers resume their season with a game against the Thunder on February 22. The game is critical not just for the sake of standings but to gain momentum entering the home stretch of the season.