Baron Davis #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Baron Davis is probably more optimistic than most when it comes to his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers reached the playoffs for the 12th time in 14 seasons this past year. However, for the third consecutive season, their postseason ended with a first-round exit.
While it’s true the Clippers rely on an older core in Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Norman Powell, Davis said Los Angeles was “right there,” pointing to their seven-game loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Narrow Margins Define Clippers’ Recent Playoffs
“I thought the Clippers were right there,” Davis said in a one-on-one interview with RG. “The playoffs have a small margin of error. You look at two of those games the Clippers lost, they were winning and looked like they were going to win.”
Indeed, the Clippers lost Games 1 and 4 by just two points each, easily swingable outcomes as Davis noted. Leonard had a strong series after appearing in only 37 regular-season games, averaging 25.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 53.7% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc.
Yet, Harden, 35, struggled significantly in the decisive Game 7, scoring just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting. The former NBA MVP historically underperforms in high-stakes playoff games, holding a 3-4 career record in Game 7s and averaging only 19.3 points per game on 35.5% shooting.
“I think with the Clippers, it’s really just helping Kawhi—makes a huge difference,” Davis said.
“Them coming back in full is really going to help them. This year, they looked like they could contend and showed they could push Denver to the brink. But they could’ve won that series, setting up a potential Western Conference Finals matchup against OKC that might’ve been different.”
Adding Depth and Size Crucial for Clippers’ Future
Despite Davis’ optimism, the Clippers face a challenge in building through young talent due to a lack of first-round draft picks. The franchise doesn’t own a first-round selection this year or next, largely due to their 2019 trade for Paul George, which cost them five first-round picks and two pick swaps with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Davis suggested the Clippers need to prioritize adding “able bodies.” Leonard hasn’t played more than 68 games in a season since 2016-17, and Powell missed 22 games this season.
He believes the Clippers would benefit from acquiring a stretch big this offseason. Veterans like Al Horford and Dorian Finney-Smith will be free agents, and though the Clippers might not sign either, landing someone with a similar skillset could help significantly.
“Maybe some height, maybe another stretch,” Davis added. “But I look at the Clippers, and they’re another team that’s going to be there next year and have an opportunity, just like everybody else, to contend.”
Davis emphasized playoff success hinges largely on matchups, pointing to the league’s recent parity, with seven different NBA champions crowned in the past seven seasons. Over the past three years, the Clippers fell to the Nuggets, a surging Dallas Mavericks team that reached the Finals, and a Phoenix Suns squad led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
“The thing with the league today is, if you look at the last seven years, there’s been a different NBA champion,” Davis said. “That’s telling you there’s a lot of teams. It’s really all about matchups. Can you win your matchup? Can you get the matchup, the home-court advantage? That’s going to help you.”
DJ Siddiqi
