"The season is over for the LA Clippers if they don't have Paul George" - Stephen A. Smith gives damning assessment after 8x All-Star's injury

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claimed that the LA Clippers will not go on a deep playoff run if Paul George does not return from injury.

In the game against the OKC Thunder on Tuesday night, Paul George suffered a potentially serious injury in the fourth quarter. He hit the court hard after being fouled by Luguentz Dort with 4:38 remaining and stayed down for several minutes.

George was taken to the locker room with no immediate update on his condition. He later left the arena on the back of a cart with his right leg extended. The game was tied at 91-91 when George left and his team ended up losing 101-100.

Stephen A. Smith believes that the injury might play a huge role for the LA Clippers:

“I must say, can we get to the point. The season is over for the LA Clippers if they do not have Paul George. It is that simple. They are not going anywhere. It’s that simple. There is no way on Earth you are looking at this squad, and I have got, listen, Kawhi Leonard is a star, even though Luguentz Dort put him on lockdown the last few seconds last night.”

He later said:

“Although they are no scrubs, we look at this team, and their success is predicated on the health and availability of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Without the two of them, they are a respectable team who are going home early.”

LA Clippers to be in trouble without Paul George?

Kawhi Leonard has also had consistent injury issues this season and has only started 42 games thus far. With George also potentially out, Stephen A. Smith believes the LA Clippers might be in big trouble:

“The point is at the end of the day here is the bottom line. The season comes down to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Any expectation we had from this team was predicated on the successful play of those two individuals. We all know what they can do when they are healthy.”

The Clippers are still in a healthy position in the Western Conference and will play six of their remaining 10 NBA games at home. Still Stephen A. Smith claimed that nobody is relying on Kawhi Leonard to stay fit:

“The issue with them has been purely about health, and consistency and continuity, being on the court together for a slew of games. We know what they are capable of. For Paul George to be gone, for Kawhi Leonard’s health to consistently be questionable, to the point that every game he plays, even though we marvel at his greatness, we expect Kawhi Leonard to be hurt. We do not rely on his health either.”