The Clippers surprised everyone this season. Despite their superstar Kawhi Leonard missing majority of the games due to injury, they managed to bag 50 wins and the fifth seed in the West. Now, it’s time for the next challenge – A first-round series against the mighty Denver Nuggets. And Ty Lue has already begun preparing his squad for the playoff battle.
Of course, the biggest threat to the Clippers in this series will be Nikola Jokic. The big man has had a monster year, averaging a 29.6-point triple-double, becoming the first Center in league history to do so. Sure enough, the LA team’s best chance to limit Joker’s production is by scouting for him and strategizing against his every possible maneuver. So, Ty Lue is going with a unique method. Per Law Murray’s latest report, he is using Ben Simmons as Jokic for their scout team at practice.
The Clippers used Ben Simmons as Nikola Jokic for their scout team at practice, per @LawMurrayTheNU pic.twitter.com/WS3WcXtkdB
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 16, 2025
Obviously, Simmons is no Joker. In fact, Nikola is a one-of-one superstar, with his unique ability to dominate in multiple ways. But Ben might be the closest thing the Clippers have to him apart from their starters. Well, Simmons is a 6’10 point guard and early in his career, he was arguably as versatile as the Nuggets superstar. In his first All-Star season, Ben averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists. So, him replicating Jokic for Clippers’ playoffs practice makes perfect sense.
It has been over two months since Ben moved to LA after agreeing to a contract buyout with his former team, the Nets. His tenure in Brooklyn was underwhelming and injury riddled, as he played only ninety games in three seasons, averaging 6.5 points and over six assists. But Simmons joined the Clippers looking for a fresh start and aiming to contribute in the playoffs, “Just building and staying healthy. Get ready for the playoffs. That’s the end goal for us right now: To get to the playoffs. We don’t want to be in the Play-In. So, just focus on these games coming up, one day at a time.” Replicating Jokic is part of that process. Meanwhile, Kawhi also seems ready for the challenge.
Kawhi Leonard still driven as he aims to “win” against the Nuggets
While Simmons’ role for the first-round series has been confirmed, the most important factor for the Clippers will be Kawhi’s health. Although the Klaw started the season late due to injury, he finished strong, averaging 21.5 points and nearly six rebounds. And the LA team will need him to bring his A game in the playoffs for a chance to beat the Nuggets.
Even Leonard remains driven for the upcoming series despite his injury woes, as he highlighted in a recent interview, “I love the game. I have a passion for it still. I love to compete out there. That’s pretty much what drives me back. Everything has its ups and downs. You have to go through that in life and just keep going.” It’s this passion and drive that has motivated him to fight through adversity and return stronger every time.
Kawhi Leonard on his drive to continue returning from injuries:
“I love the game. I love the game. I have a passion for it still. I love to compete out there. That’s pretty much what drives me back. Everything has its ups and downs. You have to go through that in life and just… pic.twitter.com/mnWsU3SOiw
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 16, 2025
With this mentality, the two-time champ also had a stern warning for Nikola Jokic and Co., “I’m always just playing basketball having fun and trying to get to that next step… Just trying to win games. That’s it.” Yes, Kawhi’s sole focus right now is to win in the playoffs and that could mean trouble for the Nuggets. That’s because a motivated Kawhi has proven in the past that he can singlehandedly lead teams to a championship. So, Nuggets – Beware! Thoughts?
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