NBA pre-season: Four things to watch as the Clippers and the Mavericks clash
From Hong Kong clashes to Kawhi Leonard's laugh, we've got you covered with what to watch in Thursday's NBA pre-season game.
Oct 17, 2019 • Last Updated October 17, 2019 • 4 minute read
Kawhi Leonard of the L.A. Clippers is defended by Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets during a 111-91 Nuggets' pre-season win at Staples Center on Oct. 10 in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks play their pre-season finales Thursday at Rogers Arena (7:30 p.m. TSN2), their final dress rehearsals before the NBA season tips off next week. Here's four things to watch:
WELCOME BACK, KAWHI
There's no avoiding this storyline. It will be Kawhi Leonard's first game back in Canada since opting to leave the Toronto Raptors for the L.A. Clippers after leading the Canadian club to its first NBA title.
Leonard was the subject of a shameless and frequently awkward months-long campaign by Torontonians imploring him to stay in the 6ix.
But whatever he was thought of before — quiet, soft-spoken, focused and intense — he also proved himself to be a shrewd businessman, luring Paul George away from the Oklahoma City Thunder to join him in L.A. and shake up the league's power structure.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP, a.k.a. The Board Man, has changed the narrative surrounding him. He's no longer the guy with that laugh — man, that laugh — and nor the one with the unmatched trash-talking ability.
He is, says new teammate Patrick Beverly, an actual fun guy.
"Nah, he's not quiet," Beverley told journalist Tomer Azarly. "He's a really dope dude, man. I thought he was quiet coming in, but he's really not. Again, another person when he speaks, everyone listens, and we're just trying to put it all together, trying to have fun putting it all together and trying to get better while putting it all together also."
REBRANDED CLIPPERS
There is a long history of losing in Clipperville, and most of the time, they weren't even that lovable.
In the 27 seasons since moving to L.A. from San Diego, the highest they finished in the Pacific Division was sixth, one of just four times they made the post-season. That changed in the era of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, and despite having the NBA's third-best record from 2012-13 to 2016-17 and making the post-season six straight years, the nucleus was broken up.
It provided the skeleton for the future. The Clippers traded Paul to the Houston Rockets for seven players, a first-round pick and cash — a lopsided deal that's come to be known as "The Paul Haul" in L.A.
It brought Beverly, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams into the fold. Beverly is one of the top defensive players in the NBA; Harrell and Williams are super-subs, with Williams becoming the highest-scoring bench player in NBA history last season.
Add in Leonard and George, (who will not play Thursday), and the balance of power has shifted in the Western Conference. The litmus test comes next Tuesday, when they "host" fellow Staples Centre tenant LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers.
REBRANDED CLIPPERS PART II
The team isn't the only thing that's been overhauled.
With a move to Inglewood in the near future — 2024 is the target date for a new stadium — the Clippers have been busy rebadging the franchise. On Tuesday, they appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in their new uniforms, which set twitter ablaze.
The white-and-black jerseys simply have "Los Angeles" inscribed on the chest in an old English script that invokes the spirit of Grand Theft Auto.
The team is pushing its blue-collar image, one "for the people in the back," as Beverly said in an interview during the 2019 playoffs, an identity in polar opposition to the celebrity-laden, glitzy Showtime Lakers.
"That's who we do it for — the people in the back. The blue-collar people who don't have a lot given to 'em, and work for everything that they deserve," he said. "That's what we're doing right now."
DON'T FORGET DALLAS
With all the attention on L.A., their opposition Thursday almost seems to be an afterthought. But the Mavs boast two of the best young players on the planet in Kristaps Porziņģis (a.k.a. The Unicorn, thanks to Kevin Durant) and reigning rookie-of-the-year Luka Doncic. Both are European products, showing just how far the international game has come in the past decade.
Both are young — 24 and 20, respectively — but form the core of a team that should return to the glory days of Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki.
Dallas begins its regular season next Wednesday when they host the Washington Wizards.
(Fuel) Vancouver is home to one of the largest Chinese populations in North America.
(Fire) The massive clashes between protesters and police in Hong Kong, which have now stretched into their 18th week.
(Hot air) The NBA wading into the controversy thanks to Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's twitter feed.
Those factors are explosive. How big the conflagration gets Thursday is a question mark. The NBA has tamped down on its players and coaches talking about the issue, after Morey drew the league into the fray with a Free Hong Kong tweet that enraged China — its largest market by population.
Players and coaches have been instructed to skirt the issue, even the normally outspoken ones like Warriors coach Steve Kerr or the Clippers' Doc Rivers.
"I don't know. I didn't pay much attention to it other than what (Daryl Morey) said. And he was right in saying that," Rivers told The Athletic's Jovan Buha this week. "But there's consequences to every action. I've been saying that as well … It's a tough issue clearly."