Any remaining optimism surrounding the Clippers starts with having Darius Garland to run the offense for the entire season, writes Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. The 26-year-old point guard was dealing with a lingering toe injury when he arrived from Cleveland in February, but he was still effective in the 19 games he played, averaging 19.9 points and 6.4 assists and helping L.A. secure a spot in the play-in tournament.
Iko expects his presence to benefit shooters such as Max Strus, Garland’s former teammate in Cleveland, who was acquired last month in the five-team deal involving Peyton Watson. Iko also suggests that Garland may be able to help revive Gradey Dick, who’s part of the pending Kawhi Leonard trade with Toronto. Dick showed promise during his first two years in the NBA before seeing his minutes cut drastically last season.
Iko notes that the team’s defense will likely take a huge step backward once Brandon Ingram arrives to replace Leonard in the starting lineup. He suggests that explains the Clippers’ urgency to sign Rui Hachimura away from the Lakers in free agency.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
Ben Simmons has enough to focus on regarding his comeback attempt without being asked to serve as a mentor to the Kings’ younger players, states Jason Jones of The Athletic. Simmons, who agreed to a one-year deal with Sacramento on Friday, is in no position to offer advice after his career got sidetracked over the last few years, Jones adds. In an appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (Twitter link), ESPN’s Marc J. Spears suggests that Simmons would like to see the arrangement go past one year if this season is successful. “If they give him the opportunity and he does well, and he wants them back, they want him back, and it’s fair, I think he’d want to stay,” Spears said.
Jeanie Buss has an outside chance to remain the Lakers’ governor if she can acquire enough shares to keep her ownership stake at 15%, according to Khobi Price of The New York Post. Fellow minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski Jr. support keeping Buss in that position, according to a legal filing last month in a Los Angeles court, but they aren’t interested in selling their shares, which are a combined 7%.
In the wake of league sanctions against the Clippers, Warriors forward Draymond Green questions the value of the NBA having a salary cap, relays Luca Evans of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscriber link). “I think that’s what comes out of this,” Green said on his podcast (YouTube link). “Why is there a salary cap? Why are guys being prevented from making money from team sponsors or league sponsors, or whoever else? We talk about, we’re in a league that is player-centric, that is player-focused, that is player-driven, that has the best benefits, best interest for the players. And here’s a situation where a guy can make 20 to 30 million extra dollars, and we’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re in trouble.’ I’m happy Kawhi didn’t get the bulk of this punishment. I think it’s absolutely beautiful.”