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I really hope Zach has enjoyed his time off while the Clippers contemplate Kawhi Leonard’s total minutes this season.
A Fresh Start
New arena, new chapter for Kawhi, Clippers?
The LA Clippers have often been seen as the Los Angeles team with a deeper roster, but that hasn’t led to an NBA championship. We know that’s the only way the Clippers can truly grab and keep headlines for long in the city.
This Clippers team will be different. It will be in its new arena, the state-of-the-art Intuit Dome. Paul George left for Philadelphia in free agency. Russell Westbrook was traded to Utah and is now a Denver Nugget.
The Athletic’s Law Murray gave us a detailed breakdown of how the Clippers’ rotation might look this season. Coach Ty Lue has had to be creative with the rotation over the years because his stars have so routinely been in and out the lineup due to injuries.
That’s one problem Lue doesn’t want to bring with the team to the Intuit Dome. And the bulk of that concern lies with Kawhi Leonard.
- The scuttle around the NBA during Leonard’s free agency in 2019 was whether he could be a player who plays 60-plus games every season. Leonard had just won an NBA championship with Toronto, but there were injury concerns.
- Leonard, 33, has played more than 60 games just once as a Clipper — last season, when he appeared in 68 contests before a right knee injury ended his playoff run after two games. The 34.3 minutes Leonard averaged were also his most with the Clippers.
Without a healthy Leonard, Los Angeles essentially has no chance at a championship. James Harden is 35, and expecting him to carry a crew of non-stars to a title is unrealistic.
Ribbon cut @IntuitDome pic.twitter.com/uNLBVqMqpG
— Law Murray 💡 (@LawMurrayTheNU) August 16, 2024
Murray’s analysis brings into question the depth of this season’s squad. Six rotation players will be back, but filling the hole left by George will not be simple.
Derrick Jones Jr. is a nice pickup, but he’s not George. Even with Harden and Leonard’s ages being a factor, it’s not as if the Clippers will fall into the lottery next season, though. A Harden-Leonard duo coupled with Lue’s superb coaching should be enough to keep the Clippers in contention for a top-six spot in the West.
In reality, the Clippers will have plenty of fans at games in the new arena. Lakers fans will venture there out of curiosity if the ticket prices are right. But when it comes to relevance, the only things that will matter in Los Angeles are rings — and not the Intuit Dome ones given to fans.
The window for the Clippers to enter a season as title favorites might be closed. If Leonard misses a lot of time, there’s no point in trying to open it again.
New Frontiers
Adam Silver talks potential expansion
So, with the NBA’s media rights deal done, isn’t it time to move on to expansion?
Not so fast, says commissioner Adam Silver. Selling equity in the league can be “complicated,” he said Tuesday at the NBA board of governors meeting. Here’s more on his explanation:
“What that means for the existing television relationships, etc. (can be complicated). What we’ve told interested parties is, ‘Thank you for your interest; we’ll be back to you.’”
Silver said no committee had been formed to examine expansion, but it will be addressed later in the season.
We hear you, Commish. But that doesn’t mean the expansion chatter hasn’t been out there.
Seattle has been waiting for a team since the Sonics were moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 and repackaged as the Thunder. The city almost had a deal to move the Kings to the Pacific Northwest in 2013 before late commissioner David Stern, then-Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and the community rallied to find ownership (led by Vivek Ranadive) to keep the team in California.
The FIBA secretary general met with NBA’s Board of Governors this week as league continues to explore what it could do in Europe. One idea would include a league with current European teams, and could include possible investment from Gulf states. https://t.co/fGVJLRXGgq https://t.co/P1fap9sGiZ
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) September 11, 2024
It’s just assumed Seattle will get a team. It makes sense. There would be community support, too. I remember Sonics fans “scouting” the Kings in 2013 amid the relocation rumors as they prepped to see who they might be cheering for, back when I was a Kings beat writer.
The NBA’s infatuation with Vegas is no secret. Beyond summer league, the In-Season Tournament ends there, too.
Players love the city. Some NBA players already call Vegas home in the offseason. They might love it more if they can live there outside of the summer months. The NFL, NHL and WNBA already have a presence in the city, too (just like Seattle).
Those are the two cities that make the most sense, but once the process opens, who knows which cities will rise up for a piece of the league? Is going international (again) a real possibility?
I like Mexico and have covered an NBA game there. I’m not sure if a team in Mexico would be a popular spot for players, but fans there have enjoyed the NBA experience. Maybe another team in Canada makes sense? We’ll have to wait and see.
Networks Want Barkley
Will Chuck stay with TNT?
Tampering doesn’t apply to broadcasters.
ESPN and NBC executives have both said they’d be interested in adding Hall of Fame player and broadcaster Charles Barkley should he become available.
Barkley said last month he is not leaving Turner Sports. Depending on the outcome of litigation, this might be the last season Turner carries the NBA. That would mark the end of the iconic “Inside the NBA,” for which Barkley is an Emmy Award winner as an analyst.
Having spent time with Barkley, I can assure you he is at home and happy with Turner. He doesn’t believe ESPN or any other network would allow him to be himself. Barkley pushes the envelope with his honesty. Even if you disagree with him, you can’t say Barkley isn’t being genuine with his opinions.
If Turner ultimately loses in court and loses rights to broadcast the NBA, I’d watch Barkley do whatever Turner asks of him. Turner will still have MLB, NHL, March Madness and AEW wrestling. I don’t want to see a censored Barkley on another network.
Bounce Passes
DeMar DeRozan opens up about NBA players and mental health.
Is Lonzo Ball ready to play again? Darnell Mayberry answers.
Most-clicked in Monday’s newsletter: Caitlin Clark has an opportunity to grow as a leader.
(Top photo: Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images )
