Patrick Beverley’s health, along with Leonard’s and George’s, will be critical to the Clippers’ postseason success, says Azarly (FrenchieInPortland/Creative Commons).

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Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points joins the show to discuss the state of the Clippers just past the season’s midway point. Enjoy these clips/Clips:

Time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising:

7:04-7:42: “I just think it’s a work in progress. It’s a team last year that had an underdog mentality all season and now you add two superstars from two completely different programs in Kawhi and PG, and it just takes time to incorporate these guys. We haven’t even talked about the fact that they have one game healthy all year. That was the Laker game on Christmas Day. The following game, Trez missed because of the flu, and then Pat went out with the wrist injury. So they’ve only really had one game healthy, one practice the day before that healthy. We’ve really yet to see what this team can be. So I don’t think it’s time to overreact yet, but this team is still a work in progress.”

15:47-16:46: “Their numbers while [Ivica] Zubac is on the court have been pretty close to phenomenal. They’ve been a really good defensive team when Zubac on the court because he not only blocks shots, but he changes shots. He’s a really big guy inside. He takes up a lot of space. I’ve been saying this all year: play Zubac more. Get him more minutes. For whatever reason, the Clippers are not getting him more minutes right now. Maybe they’re showcasing Trez more. Maybe they feel like they can outscore teams and sort of be OK defensively, with Trez on the court. But I do think a bit of their defense always comes back to Zubac and having him on the court because inside, statistically, like blocked shots, he hasn’t been a crazy force, but he’s been a shot-changing force at the rim for the Clippers.”

18:50-19:24: “I think the series honestly might just come down to health. The Clippers have shown that, they they can play the Lakers very well. They match up pretty well against them. You know, Kawhi is able to really put pressure on LeBron. LeBron does not want to guard Kawhi right now. I don’t think he will in the playoffs either. I just look at it and say the Clippers have all the right pieces to slow down the Lakers; it’s just a matter of can they be healthy when they play them. Can they have enough repetition under their belt together as a team to beat the Lakers?”

22:04-22:25: “Home court matters, but they will be content being a 4 seed if they are a hundred percent healthy. If they have PG, Kawhi healthy, Pat’s 100% or close to it, they’ve built some chemistry over time and they go on as a four seed, I can tell you they’ll be very confident about their odds and their chances because that’s just the kind of team this is. They’re not really worried about seeding.”

37:50-38:00: “I was the one that asked him [Harrell] about the vibe of the locker room. I didn’t get a weird vibe before that, but once he started speaking, I wanted to know what the vibe of the locker room was.”

*The article referenced in the episode can be read here if you’re a subscriber to The Athletic.

*Since this episode was released, the NBA has decided to postpone Tuesday night’s game between the Clippers and Lakers.

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Music: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeod.