Kawhi Leonard's Honest Statement After Blowout Loss vs. Timberwolves

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The LA Clippers suffered a frustrating loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. With a chance to take over the first seed in the Western Conference, the Clippers were blown out by Minnesota on their home floor. This was a disappointing showing for the Clippers amid what has been an otherwise very impressive stretch of games.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard admitted that they have been winning games off of talent for a while, and need to execute better against good teams like the Timberwolves. While Leonard admitted that the Clippers need to execute better, even in many of their wins, he also believes the team is close to the level they need to be at.
When asked how close the Clippers are to a championship level team, Leonard said, "We're right there. We’ve been winning games, as everybody has seen. There’s ways for us to get better. That’s what’s scary… Now is the time to turn it around."
Asked Kawhi Leonard how close the Clippers are to a championship caliber team.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) February 13, 2024
Kawhi: “We’re right there. We’ve been winning games, as everybody has seen. There’s ways for us to get better. That’s what’s scary… Now is the time to turn it around.” pic.twitter.com/w57ZRPrRnZ
These are nuanced comments from Leonard, who recognizes areas of improvement for this team, but also sees that as an encouraging thing when considering the Clippers have been winning several games despite not being at their best. This loss to the Timberwolves was certainly a frustrating one, but the Clippers believe they are close to where they need to be.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.
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