The Los Angeles Clippers Missed Out On A Great Duo
Comedian Paul Scheer believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kawhi Leonard would've been a successful duo
The history of the NBA has been filled with a ton of “what-if” scenarios. One of the most recent nonexistent events involves the Los Angeles Clippers.
On a recent episode of FanDuel TV’s Run It Back podcast, comedian Paul Scheer said that the potential duo of Kawhi Leonard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would’ve been successful.
“I would’ve said, ‘Hey Kawhi, just play half a season with Shai,’” Scheer said. “Play with him and just see what happens, and then make a trade based on that. I feel like if we did that for half a season, I think we would see right away that could’ve been good.”
In 2018, the Charlotte Hornets drafted Gilgeous-Alexander but then traded him to the Clippers later that night. During his freshman year, he averaged 10.8 points and finished sixth in voting for Rookie of the Year.
Nevertheless, an immediate change was made.
After leading the Toronto Raptors to a championship in 2019, Leonard joined the Clippers. However, in order to sign him, Los Angeles had to get small forward Paul George to pair with him. The only way they could fulfill Leonard’s wishes was by trading Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder in exchange for George.
The Clippers might’ve had a dynamic duo
Although George proved to be an excellent teammate for Leonard, Gilgeous-Alexander could’ve been even better.
Once Gilgeous-Alexander joined the Thunder, he quickly rose to stardom. Throughout his five years with the organization, he logged averages of 26.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals. He earned two All-Star and All-NBA selections while finishing top five in voting for Most Valuable Player each year.
Considering both Gilgeous-Alexander and Leonard are known for their two-way skill sets, they would’ve complemented each other well. With their willingness to drive to the basket for points, they would’ve been great pick-and-roll partners. They also would’ve given the Clippers tense defense both inside and outside the 3-point line.
The only issue they might’ve had was the lack of 3-point shooting. Though Gilgeous-Alexander and Leonard have the ability to hit outside shots, they would rather collect their points from inside the 3-point line.
Taking into account the player Gilgeous-Alexander has become, the Clippers might now have regrets trading him.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson