The Los Angeles Clippers’ “213 Era” officially ended on July 6, when Paul George signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. For the past five seasons, “213” has referred to the jersey numbers of the Clippers’ two best players: Kawhi Leonard (#2) and Paul George (#13).
Leonard and George both joined the Clippers in the summer of 2019. Immediately after their arrival, the Clippers were billed as championship contenders. Although the team had won zero championships since its founding in 1970, fans believed Leonard and George would finally get the Clippers their first one.
At the time, Leonard and George were coming off great seasons and were big stars. It seemed that fate was changing in the Clippers’ favor, and they were finally going to win it all. Yet, fast-forwarding five years later, the Clippers have failed to even make the finals once with Leonard and George. George’s departure marks the end of the failed 213 Era, but with Leonard under contract through 2027, the Clippers must look to the future and the upcoming 2024-25 season.
So, what can fans expect?
Without George, the Clippers are at a loss, however, they have several in-house options to mitigate his absence. James Harden will step into the role of the “second star” behind Leonard. Harden, former MVP of the league, was acquired from the 76ers in a massive trade right after the start of last season. Although Harden is not the same player due to age and injuries, he is still someone who can both score and facilitate for teammates at a high level.
However, George averaged 22.6 points last season, and it is likely that Harden will struggle to make up those lost points by himself. Instead, the Clippers will have to rely on their “supporting cast” to replace George’s scoring. Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, and Terance Mann are three candidates to take a big leap forward in the scoring department. Powell averaged 13.9 points per game last year, but the year before, he averaged 17.0, proving that he has the ability to score in volume when needed. Zubac and Mann averaged 11.7 and 8.8 points last season respectively, and while neither of them have had scoring seasons on Powell’s level, they have both been with the Clippers since 2019, making them reliable veterans to rely on.
The Clippers were not idle this summer, making multiple additions to replace George’s production as best as possible. They signed Derrick Jones Jr., Mo Bamba, and Kevin Porter Jr., and also made a trade with the Utah Jazz to acquire Kris Dunn. In addition, the Clippers reunited with fan favorite Nicolas Batum in free agency, who had spent three seasons with the Clippers before being sent to the 76ers in the Harden trade.
Jones Jr., who was signed away from the Dallas Mavericks after being part of their run to the finals this past season, is a great defender. In fact, when the Mavericks eliminated the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs last year, Jones’ defense on George was a large reason as to why George struggled with shooting. It is very possible that Jones ends up replacing George’s spot in the starting lineup for the upcoming season due to his defensive abilities,
Bamba, a 7-foot center, hasn’t quite lived up to expectations since being drafted sixth overall by the Orlando Magic in 2018. However, Bamba’s size allows him to be effective on defense, and he also has the ability to shoot 3-pointers. He won’t have much competition to be the backup center behind starting center Ivica Zubac, so Bamba should receive a consistent role for the upcoming season.
Porter Jr.’s role on the team is the murkiest out of the Clippers’ offseason acquisitions. After averaging 19.2 points per game with the Houston Rockets in 2022-23, Porter, a point guard, didn’t play at all this past season due to a domestic violence charge. He has shown the ability to score, but after not appearing in an NBA game for over a year, it’s unclear if he will play a big role, let alone get consistent playing time. The Clippers’ acquisition of Dunn, another point guard, may make it difficult for Porter to receive minutes
Dunn, who the Clippers traded Russell Westbrook for, is a noted defender similar to Jones. He experienced a “career revival” with the Utah Jazz last season after struggling with injuries in the years prior. Dunn will likely serve as the backup point guard to Harden, the starting point guard, and the Clippers will hope that he can remain healthy on the court.
Batum, a power forward, fills a position of need, as the Clippers struggled to find a power forward to play big minutes last season after trading Batum away. Although Batum does not score much, he hustles, makes great passes, fights for rebounds, and defends well. Clippers fans are very familiar with Batum’s skills, which is why he has remained popular among the fanbase even after his departure.
The Clippers acquired multiple players this summer that can contribute meaningfully, but their two best players, Leonard and Harden, are both aging and injury-prone. Although their offseason acquisitions improve the Clippers’ defense, the team’s offense and scoring will likely take a hit without George.
The question has to be asked if this team can realistically compete for a championship. They finished fourth in the Western Conference last season, but that was with Leonard, George and Harden — all healthy and available for most of the season. It remains to be seen whether Leonard, 33 years old and injury-prone, will be able to play as much as he did last season. Moreover, Harden, 35 years old, has a history of injuries himself. With the combination of aging, injury-prone stars and the loss of their second-best player, it may be difficult for the Clippers to even get fourth place this upcoming season.
While it’s very possible for them to make the playoffs, teams below the fourth seed pretty much never win the championship. Only six teams in NBA history have made the finals when lower than fourth in the conference, and of those six teams, only one actually won the championship. It will be interesting to see how the Clippers manage their first non-213 season since 2018-19, and whether Leonard and Harden can both remain healthy and lead the team deep into the playoffs.
