Are the Clippers most set up to come out of this break with an advantage? Who will?

[Clippersfan86]

The Clippers motto the entire break has been "win the wait". The second the shutdown happened practically.. the Clippers sent an entire gym to each player to do remote workouts on Zoom with the coaches and trainers. Austin Rivers in an interview with Doc said he's talked to other teams and nobody else has done that. You combine that with Kawhi's degenerative quad getting a ton of rest, and PG's recurring hamstring pulls right before the break (he had 3 hamstring pulls the last 6 weeks of the season). Clippers also didn't have the great, immediate chemistry that the Lakers/Bucks had. I wonder if in a way the Clippers are gaining multiple advantages here due to rest to superstars, more time to gel off the court and the fact that they are actually getting healthy.

Lakers/Bucks not only had great overall health this year in comparison, but they punched a lot of teams in the mouth early. Now everyone knows what to expect from each other and I don't expect the same type of disparity in starting off fast. I actually think the Lakers will be hurt the most by this break. Lebron has said at his age it takes him a little bit to get warmed up and going. Lakers are an older team that were in a groove and had pretty damn good health for their core. Bucks will likely be similarly dominant, it's more I expect a few other teams like the Clips/Raptors/Celtics/ to gain ground on top two.

My list of how teams will come out of the break, only listing contenders:

Better: Clippers, Raptors, Celtics, Sixers, Heat, Rockets (most of these teams are relatively young or gain health during this time).
Worse: Lakers, Bucks (relative to others, more neutral), Nuggets (Jokic likely comes back 350 lbs), Jazz (Devastating injury to Bogdanovic)

What are some of the teams you think will come out better vs worse after this break?

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Basically told Kawhi to load manage 4 months before playoffs starts. Plus they will not have to deal with Lakers fans taking over in the WCF. I think it favors clippers

[HylianNightmare]

An entire gym? Wild

[dazzer87]

An entire gym? Wild

When you purchase The Forum for $400 million in cash.........12 x Gym equipments not going to kill the guy.

[ArbitraryWater]

I don‘t think so.

It took them a long time to gel together, and just when it looked like they did, the season got interrupted.

I think they‘ll have some issues off the bounce.

Especially if they start the playoffs right away. Mavs are a pretty set team.

Lakers and Bucks seem the best from the get go.

I think this should reward them.

Teams who need a lot of rhythm to get going like Clippers, Jazz, Sixers, will be hurting. No Zoom meetings will help with that.

Morris was having a runaway career best season. Lets see if he still has that touch/feel, too. Still can‘t believe he is on the team, though.

[LoneyROY7]

This guy.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EYpmr5oXQAApDnK.jpg

My dude shedding serious lbs for the playoff run.

[Smoke117]

This guy.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EYpmr5oXQAApDnK.jpg

My dude shedding serious lbs for the playoff run.
Lol playoff run., huh. Haren doesn’t have Cp3 to carry him anymore. Him and his fellow chucker Westbrick will shoot them Out of the playoffs by the second round, fakkot.

[FKAri]

I didn't know that about the Clippers. If true, Balmer's a real one.

[Clippersfan86]

Harden somehow looks his slimmest ever. Keto???

[LoneyROY7]

Lol playoff run., huh. Haren doesn’t have Cp3 to carry him anymore. Him and his fellow chucker Westbrick will shoot them Out of the playoffs by the second round, fakkot.

CP3 carried him and yet the only time Paul has ever been to a Conference Finals was...wait for it...

...playing second fiddle to Harden.

:oldlol::oldlol:

[LoneyROY7]

Harden somehow looks his slimmest ever. Keto???

He's been doing some crazy plyometric work during the quarantine apparently.

[Akeem34TheDream]

He's been doing some crazy plyometric work during the quarantine apparently.

Will he be even quicker? I always wondered how could a guy that thick could be that quick.

[LoneyROY7]

Will he be even quicker? I always wondered how could a guy that thick could be that quick.

In the article I saw, they mentioned him trying to further his first step and quickness even more...so yeah it could be crazy.

[Axe]

I guess the clippers' biggest mission here is to stop their famous crosstown rivals from contending in the postseason.

Had the season only gone uninterrupted, who knows what would have happened already.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

I guess the clippers' biggest mission here is to stop their famous crosstown rivals from contending in the postseason.

Had the season only gone uninterrupted, who knows what would have happened already.

Clippers never had a training camp with Kawhi George and now they do, so that helps

[light]

Basically told Kawhi to load manage 4 months before playoffs starts. Plus they will not have to deal with Lakers fans taking over in the WCF. I think it favors clippers

The Lakers are older and LeBron likes playing on the road. Neutral site shouldn't hurt them. I'd think a team like the Clippers would need their crowd for support and confidence more than a team like the Lakers.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

The Lakers are older and LeBron likes playing on the road. Neutral site shouldn't hurt them. I'd think a team like the Clippers would need their crowd for support and confidence more than a team like the Lakers.

Kawhi stats were better on the road then at home this season if I'm not mistaken. Also a few of his best playoff games were on the road 2nd round game 4 and ECF game 5. Role players are who need the home court, it doesn't really effect all time greats.

[Clippersfan86]

Clippers never had a training camp with Kawhi George and now they do, so that helps

That's another thing. Kawhi sat out most of camp, and PG flat out missed the first month+ of the season. They really had to just jump in.