“The Clippers have won 80 games without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, while the Lakers have won 36 games without LeBron James and Anthony Davis”: Troubles continue for the Bubble champions
A surprising statistic reveals the Clippers have a better record than the Lakers when it comes to playing without their superstar duo.
The LA Lakers find themselves in the eye of the storm, owing to their performances this season. Despite assembling a super team, the roster hasn’t clicked. Team chemistry seems to be the biggest issue for the Lakers right now. Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis are the keys if the team wants to succeed.
It won’t be wrong to say that the pandemic-ridden era of the NBA isn’t over yet. The 2021-22 season had teams play with depleted rosters, leading to franchises signing former players for ten-day contracts. With umpteen players entering the protocols, there were games postponed as well.
And with injuries being a regular in the game of basketball, it has been a rough season for players and franchises. However, this has been the case for all teams. While some had more of it, some had less. This season has seen superstars like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George missing several games due to injuries.
A shocking statistic reveals the Lakers have a worse record than Clippers, despite the latter having its top superstars miss more games.
The Clippers have played better without their superstars than the Lakers have.
The Clippers are currently 26-27 and the 8th seed in the western conference, while the Lakers hold a record of 24-27 and are the 9th seed. Though both teams are below +500, it’s surprising to see the Clippers having a better record than the Lakers.
No lead is safe when playing against the Clippers. The Ty Lue team has had some mind-boggling comebacks this season. The most recent being the rallying a 35-point deficit against the Wizards.
The Clippers overcame a 35-point deficit against the Wizards. That is tied for the 2nd-largest in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97) and is the largest comeback in franchise history.
📼 @honey highlights from the win. pic.twitter.com/0aTSzgcxof
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 26, 2022
Not so long ago, the team had stunned the Sixers, making a 24-point comeback against Joel Embiid and co. The likes of Luke Kennard, Reggie Jackson, and Ivica Zubac have stepped up in their respective roles.
On the other hand, the Lakers continue to blow huge leads, the latest being against the Atlanta Hawks. The Lakers were up 11-points going into the fourth quarter but got outscored by the Hawks 32-20 in the quarter.
The following statistic raises further questions on the Lakers, especially coach Frank Vogel.
The Lakers have been without LeBron James or Anthony Davis for a combined 36 games, while the Clippers have been without Kawhi Leonard or Paul George for a combined 80 games.
And yet the Clippers still have a better record than the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/ClsBtA29SZ
— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) February 1, 2022
Surprisingly, two-time Finals MVP Kawhi hasn’t played a single game this season, and PG-13, who has already been out for a while, may end up missing the remaining of the season with his nagging elbow injury.
