NBA: Way-too-early playoff predictions for the 2021-22 season

7. LA Clippers

This could end up being a tough year for the LA Clippers. With no clear timeline on when Kawhi Leonard is going to return from injury, I don’t have much hope for this team to finish the regular season as a top 4 team in the conference.

Even though the Clippers didn’t look all that powerless in the playoffs without Kawhi, I find it hard to believe that they’ll be able to play at that high level all regular season long. Paul George is a good player, don’t get me wrong, but he doesn’t have the same impact on a team as Kawhi does.

A lot of this depends on when Kawhi gets back into the lineup, but I don’t see the Clippers being a real threat in the West this season. If he comes back sooner than later, though, that could change my feeling.