Leonard reveals the simple development the Clippers need to become genuine contenders.
The Los Angeles Clippers came out of the All-Star break and picked up right where they left off on Thursday night, holding off the Denver Nuggets 115-114 at Intuit Dome in a game that came down to the final second.
The win moved the Clippers to 27-28 on the season and kept them right in the middle of the Western Conference play-in picture, which is a far cry from where they were earlier this year when they sat at a brutal 6-21.
After the game, Kawhi Leonard spoke with the media about what it will take for this team to become a real contender, and he kept it simple while also being honest about where things stand.
"Just development over time," Leonard said. "I think it's over now. It's a fourth of the season left. But every day is a day to grow. A day to learn and get better. So just gotta keep looking over time and see in two weeks if we're getting better and see what happens from there."
A New-Look Roster Is Finding Its Way
It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for the Clippers after the front office made two blockbuster moves at the trade deadline, sending James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, and then shipping Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and multiple future first-round picks.
Those trades changed the identity of the team overnight, but the Clippers have not slowed down and have gone 21-7 since December 20 even through all the roster turnover.
Leonard has been the biggest reason for the turnaround, as the two-time Finals MVP is putting up 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season while shooting 49.1 percent from the field across 41 games.
Against Denver, Leonard added 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting and extended his streak of scoring at least 20 points to 34 straight games, which is the fifth-longest streak in franchise history.
Mathurin Making an Immediate Impact
The other big story on Thursday was the Clippers debut of Mathurin, who wasted no time making a statement by dropping 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting in his first game at Intuit Dome since being acquired from the Pacers.
Leonard was asked about Mathurin after the game and had nothing but good things to say, pointing out that this kind of scoring ability is something the team has needed.
Derrick Jones Jr. also chipped in 22 points as the Clippers showed they can win with this retooled lineup even without Garland, who is still working his way back from a toe injury and is not expected to debut until March.
What Comes Next
The Clippers sit in 10th place in the West right now and are still very much alive in the play-in race with 27 games left on the schedule.
Leonard's comments suggest he knows this team is not a title contender today, but he also sees a path to growth with the younger pieces that have been added around him.
Once Garland gets healthy and joins the mix, the Clippers could look like a completely different team in the final stretch, and that is exactly the kind of development over time that Leonard is talking about.
The question now is whether there is enough time for this group to build the chemistry it needs before the postseason, but if Thursday's win over Denver is any sign, the Clippers are not going away quietly.