Serge Ibaka Confident in Clippers' Title Chances
Many around the league, both fans and analysts, have written the Clippers off for the 2022 NBA season. With Kawhi Leonard expected to potentially miss the entire season, many have already chalked it up as a failure for the Clippers. In Bleacher Report's latest power rankings, the Clippers came in at 18th, which would likely put then in a play-in spot. In a recent interview with TMZ, Serge Ibaka seems to believe his team is much better than some are suggesting.
When questioned by reporters, Ibaka stated repeatedly that "We are a good team." Ibaka also seemed to suggest that any time a team has as much talent as the Clippers do, they will always have a chance to compete for the ultimate prize. Even with Kawhi Leonard out, the Clippers certainly possess one of the league's most talented rosters.
While some of the pessimism surrounding the Clippers is valid, especially as it pertains to Kawhi's injury, the team's latest playoff run should warrant some more of the confidence that Serge Ibaka is displaying.
During the 2021 playoffs, the Clippers outscored their opponents by 49 points in the 480 minutes Kawhi Leonard was off the floor. Between Paul George's dominance, Reggie Jackson's shooting, and the emergence Terance Mann, the Clippers more than held their own against the top-2 seeds in the Western Conference. The team truly saw their best players take their games to new heights when the lights were the brightest.
After Kawhi Leonard's injury, Reggie Jackson averaged 21.4 PPG on 49% from the field, Paul George averaged 30/11/6, and Terance Mann averaged 12.8 PPG on 56% from the field and 45% from deep. The team boasted a 117.1 ORTG and +5.8 NTRG in the playoffs with Kawhi Leonard off the floor, so it is certainly easy to see where Ibaka's confidence comes from.
