One week ago it seemed like our plan for the season was pretty straight forward: ride the wave of momentum we’ve had of late, keep feeding the hot hands of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, and hope that we can continue to get the steady play of guys like Zubac, Collins, and DJJ.
This week post-trade deadline? It’s a little less straight forward. While I’m excited for the changes that we made, I do have a lot of questions. Starting with the biggest change, the Clippers traded James Harden for Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. I do like the move, at least on paper, but I am concerned how we’re going to replace Harden’s production. Harden was averaging 25 points and 8 assists a night for us, and while I think that Garland could replace that production he is currently injured with no timetable to return.
Then we traded away our starting Center Ivica Zubac for Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin. We did also receive the Pacers 2026 first round pick which, depending on how the ping pong balls bounce, could prove VERY valuable to us. That being said, we are now relying on Brook Lopez to be our starting Center, followed up by Niederhauser who’s a rookie and Isaiah Jackson who is currently out injured. To say that our Center rotation is thin is quite the understatement.
For the rest of the season (barring a signing in the buyout market) we are going to rely HEAVILY on Kawhi Leonard and John Collins to lead this team. Thankfully for us, Kawhi is playing arguably the best basketball of his life. I would like to believe that he could continue this level of play and health but I think I have a right to be concerned. Maybe if I pray to the basketball gods hard enough they could grant him perfect health the rest of the year?
This team has gone through some very drastic changes at the deadline and I’ll be interested to see what we can do the rest of the year. I will also be praying on the Pacers downfall so we can secure someone like Caleb Wilson in the draft this year.
Round The Game 
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