The LA Clippers, after a difficult start to the season, have emerged as one of the most impressive teams in the NBA. Featuring a glut of superstars, the Clippers are currently 4th in the Western Conference with a 26-14 record.
The likes of Paul George , James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook are still 4 of the best players in the league. Their most recent victims, the OKC Thunder, have themselves had a brilliant season thus far, and are currently 2nd in the Conference. Still, while people expect the Clippers to emerge as title contenders, those sort of expectations have not been reserved for the Thunder.
Following the win, Paul George was interviewed by NBA on TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq wanted to know how far PG13 believed the Clippers could go this season. George seems hesitant to identify his club as championship favorites, and said the following:
I believe we are now in control. We are in charge of our own fate. We can travel as far as we wish. I believe we have committed to one another, which is the most crucial thing for our squad.
Shaq, on the other hand, believed that this was not the appropriate approach and asserted that he and Candace Parker both understood precisely what the Clippers needed:
I would have liked him to declare, ‘We’re going to win the championship. When they asked, “How far do you want to go?” I would have loved him to answer, “We have everything we need to win a championship.” Candace and I both know that when you start thinking like that and believing in it, you become more dangerous.
Hence, while O’Neal believes the LA Clippers have everything they need, he also thinks a change in mentality will only do the team good. The victory in itself is bound to further embolden the franchise, as it came against a team that has impressed everyone via their performances thus far.
OKC Thunder are themselves in title conversations
In what has been a remarkable season thus far, the OKC Thunder have seen Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominate proceedings consistently. Averaging 31 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.7 rebounds, SGA has established himself as one of the biggest stars in the NBA and has found extraordinary support as well.
The OKC Thunder’s punt on Chet Holmgren has more than worked. The 21-year-old did not play a single game last campaign but has shown exactly why he was so highly rated. Considering the way the Thunder have gone thus far, Holmgren is the obvious favorite for the ROTY title despite Victor Wembanyama ’s brilliance for a struggling San Antonio Spurs.
