Wouldn't it be perfect if this was when it finally all came together for the Los Angeles Clippers ? Six years after Kawhi Leonard chose the Clippers in free agency, he and the team are involved in what could turn out to be the biggest cap-circumvention scandal in NBA history. While they're being investigated, though, the Clippers are entering the season with perhaps the best roster they've ever had.

Los Angeles had a deep roster last year, but now Brook Lopez is the backup center, and Chris Paul is back in the building. The front office effectively turned Norman Powell into Bradley Beal and John Collins , and, unlike 2023-24, Leonard is ready to play right away. This is an old team, and it's coming off a nightmarish Game 7 performance against the Denver Nuggets , but

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