Los Angeles Clippers

42-40, no playoffs

Overview: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy and heading into their fourth season together, giving the Clippers sky-high hopes that they’ll win the franchise’s first championship. Leonard and George have yet to fully show what they can do together over an entire season, considering COVID-19 forced the NBA into a bubble in 2020 and then both of them got hurt. Leonard was sidelined last season as he rehabbed from surgery to repair a partially torn ACL, and since the 2016-17 season, he hasn’t played more than 60 games. George missed time with a right elbow injury, and has averaged just 44 games over the past three seasons in Los Angeles. Despite their absences, the Clippers eked out a 42-40 record last season. Leonard and George say their goal is to stay healthy and make a deep playoff run. And they now have veteran guard John Wall in the lineup, added over the summer to go with Norman Powell, who got hurt shortly after being traded from Portland last season. Powell previously played with Leonard in Toronto.

Quote: “Let’s put it all on the floor and see what we can do,” Leonard said.“We got a lot of talent here and I think we can make something happen.”