"Clips go as he goes": Skip Bayless draws Kawhi Leonard-Lamar Jackson parallels while hyping MVP prospects
Skip Bayless is calling for Kawhi Leonard to win the MVP award this season for what he has done with the LA Clippers. Bayless compared Leonard with Lamar Jackson, the favorite to win the NFL MVP despite not being talked about at the start of the 2023 NFL season.
In a tweet, Bayless expressed his support for Leonard after leading the Clippers to a 103-95 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday. Leonard finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to help the Clippers improve to 33-15 on the season.
The eccentric Fox Sports analyst also compared "The Klaw" with the Baltimore Ravens quarterback and how both should win the MVP this season. Bayless pointed out Leonard's numbers, which are not eye-popping but important for the Clippers' success, like Jackson for the Ravens.
"If the Clippers, who have won 25 of 30, win the West, Kawhi should win a Lamar-esque MVP," Bayless wrote.
"He won't have MVP-style stats - neither does Lamar - but Kawhi is having Lamar's eye-test impact on the season. Clips go as he goes. Right now he's scary healthy."
Kawhi Leonard has been very healthy for the LA Clippers this season. He has only missed four games and has looked like his old self, leading the Clippers to the third-best record in the Western Conference. They are just half a game behind the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves after their win over the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Leonard is averaging 24.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season. He's also shooting 53.0% from the field, 45.1% from beyond the arc and 89.0% from the free-throw line.
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Kawhi Leonard calls out teammates despite winning run
Kawhi Leonard called out his teammates following the LA Clippers' win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
He was happy with the victory but wants more from his teammates. Leonard said after the game that it's not enough for the team to win based on talent and start playing defense.
"Tonight, we were terrible on our defensive end," Leonard said. "I feel like we've been winning our games off of talent, even our offensive game.
"It's a lot of slow pace and it starts with our defense. We have to see who we want to be and start setting goals for ourselves. I feel like these last few games have been based on talent, and we need to be focused on execution."
Leonard has the Clippers on the verge of the best record in the Western Conference.
They could achieve something great as long as they can stay healthy for the remainder of the season and in the playoffs. If they can still win games despite their defense, they could win more if they don't rely on only talent.
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