Clippers NBA Championship Odds Shorten to +2400 Overnight With Report of Kawhi Leonard to Return This Season
- The Clippers are +2400 to win the 2022 NBA title following news that Kawhi Leonard could return this season
- Leonard has been out since suffering an ACL injury in 2021 playoffs
- Is now the time to bet LA to win it all?
Just when it looked like a lost season for the Los Angeles Clippers, hope has returned. Chris Haynes reported on Thursday night that there’s a ‘strong possibility’ Kawhi Leonard will return to action in 2021-22. The Finals MVP is ahead of schedule in his injury rehabilitation, which could potentially change the balance of power in the Western Conference.
While Thursday brought good news for the Clippers, they are without their two stars for the foreseeable future as Paul George continues to deal with an elbow issue. Reggie Jackson provided a positive update on George this week, but it’s unclear when the former Pacer will be able to return. On Christmas Day, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that George’s injury would be re-evaluated in three or four weeks.
Los Angeles is in a bizarre position in the NBA Championship odds. They currently occupy a Play-In berth, yet their price of +2400 to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy is behind only the Warriors, Jazz, Lakers and Suns in the Western Conference.
2022 NBA Championship Odds
Team | Odds to Win NBA Title |
---|---|
Brooklyn Nets | +260 |
Golden State Warriors | +460 |
Milwaukee Bucks | +700 |
Phoenix Suns | +800 |
Los Angeles Lakers | +1300 |
Utah Jazz | +1300 |
Miami Heat | +1400 |
Chicago Bulls | +2100 |
Los Angeles Clippers | +2400 |
Philadelphia 76ers | +2400 |
Denver Nuggets | +2400 |
Dallas Mavericks | +4200 |
Odds as of Jan 7th at FanDuel
Clippers’ Upside
Since acquiring Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers are 72-32 when they both play. They are 49-36 with just one of their stars, and slump to below .500 when they are both unavailable.
Los Angeles boasted a +17.8 net rating in minutes with Leonard and George last season. If Leonard hadn’t got hurt, there’s a strong chance the Clippers would have met the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. This team is a juggernaut with its two stars. They a flexible roster to play small or they can go bigger with Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris playing alongside their two-way wings. Ty Lue is one of the best playoff coaches in the sport.
Reggie Jackson says Paul George definitely wants to come back this year.
“He’s taking it day-by-day. I just talked to him yesterday. We were playing video games. The first thing he’s thinking about, is like, ‘How are you doing?’ ‘My elbow is feeling good. Rested, feeling good.’” pic.twitter.com/1gH7LB0MYH
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 5, 2022
There’s a scenario where the Clippers are the best team in the NBA as the postseason begins. Getting the duo on the court together has been a problem since they arrived, however. There are no guarantees that Leonard avoids a setback, and despite Reggie Jackson’s optimism, George’s elbow injury is a major concern.
Upcoming Schedule
Los Angeles is 4-7 without George in 2021-22. While the middle of the Western Conference is weaker than recent years, the Clips are only four games ahead of the 11th-placed Kings in the loss column.
Sources: My @NBAonTNT report on Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard now ahead of schedule in rehab from a torn ACL with a strong possibility of a return this season. pic.twitter.com/geyUX5Rgkv
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 7, 2022
They are about to embark on a challenging run of games, starting with Memphis, Atlanta and Denver in Southern California before an eight-game road trip in the second half of January. It’s then the Lakers and Bucks, and another road trip, followed by a back-to-back against the Suns and Warriors.
The most optimistic return for George is probably the end of January. If he’s absent into February, it’s likely the Clippers are out of the top ten.
Wait and See on Playoff Seeding
Of course, the Clips won’t care about postseason placing if they have Leonard and George healthy down the stretch. Still, they are not locked into a playoff spot, and the Play-In is perilous even with two All-NBA caliber players.
The Clippers have now fallen to the 7th seed. They're .5 away from the 5th seed and 1.5 away from the 9th seed. You need every win you can get against bad teams, otherwise things slip quickly. Especially with them having the 2nd hardest schedule left in the league.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) January 4, 2022
A healthy Clippers roster belongs in the inner-circle of title contenders, and it could be argued they would be favorites to come out the West. There’s a long way to go before we see that version of the Clippers, though.
While +2400 is a long price on a team with this upside, there’s a good chance they will have to beat Golden State, Utah and Phoenix just to make the Finals. That’s before considering the prospect of Jamal Murray returning for Denver or a win-now move from another of the West’s semi-contenders.
Wait it out on the Clippers’ title odds, at least until we have some more concrete information on George’s status.
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