"I’ll publicly say I’m the 2… There’s no ego when it comes to that" - 7x All-Star affirms his status in the LA Clippers setup, mentions “Kawhi is the number one"
It looks like the LA Clippers are ready to go at full force in the upcoming 2022-23 season. The team's All-Star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have finally made their return in the 2022 preseason games. Now, another star, John Wall, is looking to prove himself in the new season.
Following a nail-biting 117-119 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the media went to the Clippers locker room to interview Paul George. The Clippers star was asked what fans can expect from his partnership with Kawhi Leonard with them entering their fourth season together. George mentioned that there's a pattern the duo aims to follow coming into the season.
"Yeah, look at the wing-wing DWade and LeBron," George said. "Listen, Kawhi is the No. 1. And I am totally fine with that. I think I try to complement him with being able to take the load off of him. Everybody says, 'Kawhi and you are 1 and 1, or 1A, 1B.' I'll publicly say, I'm the 2. Kawhi's the 1, I'm the 2. There’s no ego when it comes to that."
At the end of the day, no matter how many All-Star caliber players a team has, one of them will have to be the go-to guy. Paul George pointing out that Dwayne Wade and LeBron James set their egos aside and played their roles to win a championship was a perfect example. George and Leonard aim to do the same thing to win a championship of their own.
"Kawhi is the No. 1, and I'm totally fine with that. I try to complement him to take the load off of him. I'll publicly say I'm the 2. That part we nipped in the bud. There's no ego when it comes to that. That being said, I believe in my talent and what I can do."
Paul George https://t.co/WgRb63MTYa
How are the LA Clippers looking so far?
The LA Clippers are finally back at full force, with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and John Wall in their lineup. However, after witnessing their preseason games thus far, it appears that they're saving most of their energy for the regular season. This is most likely the case for both Leonard and George considering both stars are coming off injuries.
In their first game back against the Portland Trailblazers, the LA Clippers were able to secure the win. We didn't see much of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as both stars only played 16 minutes each. Leonard had 11 points, two assists, and four rebounds, while George put up 12 points, two assists, and seven rebounds.
The star duo had a strong start with each sinking a three-point bomb in the opening quarter.
It appears that court rust won't be an issue for the Clippers duo. George still looks like the deadly shooter we know him to be. Leonard, on the other hand, seems to have regained his strength as he was able to slash through defenders and finish some tough shots.
In their recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, John Wall led the LA Clippers in scoring. Wall finished the game with 20 points and three assists from 20 minutes of play.
So far, the LA Clippers seem to be in good hands with these three superstars. The only thing likely to get in their way is injury problems. If Leonard and George can stay healthy, and Wall can put up big figures for the team, the LA Clippers will likely become a threat in the West.