Kawhi Leonard returns to San Antonio to face the Spurs, and even after missing a ton of games this season, the 2-time Finals MVP still led the Los Angeles Clippers to a dominating win on Thursday, 128-116, behind his finest performance of the season so far. Here are a few key takeaways during that spectacle and how the Clippers exposed the Spurs and showed every basketball fan their weaknesses.
Wembanyama Having No Backups in the Paint
SAS having no real reliable option to back up Wembanyama in the paint is already a scary thought. What more if the opposing team takes advantage of that? Well, that’s just what LA did.
Wemby played a great game (somehow). He started out strong, and even though he ran out of gas in the second half, it was still a solid outing. 23 points, 4 assists, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks really says it all.
Unfortunately, the Spurs don’t have someone to at least protect the paint every single time Victor Wembanyama sits. As such, the Clippers accepted it as an opportunity and bullied the smaller Spurs. Just look at how Ivica Zubac scored 21 points and grabbed 22 rebounds.
Spurs Inability to Defend Pick-and-Rolls
The Spurs and the Clippers approached the game in different ways. The former, very much similar to Popovich’s play of making passes to find open shots, versus the latter’s finesse in pick-and-rolls.
Ultimately, the Spur’s mission to create open shots for threes did not translate as they were heavily mismatched down low with how the Clippers executed their PNR plays, especially with James Harden running the point.
To be fair, Los Angeles’ starting lineup with Kawhi on the court has proved to be unstoppable. Kawhi and Norman Powell each had 27, while Harden posted a 21-point 11-assist double-double to cap off a win. Their bench is also deep, which also helps why they are still on track to make the playoffs
Spurs Fans Still Salty with Kawhi
It’s almost been a full seven years since Kawhi left San Antonio, but the estranged Spurs fans seem like they haven’t moved on yet.
Leonard, who left for Toronto in 2018, was met with a lot of boos in his ninth game back in SA. Surprisingly, Kawhi felt no ill feelings toward the fanbase that once cheered for him. After all, there’s more to life than just basketball. In his own words, he still appreciates and loves San Antonio, and despite the backlash, he still chooses to understand the Spurs’ fanbase.
