By the time the NBA’s trade deadline came around in February, no one expected the LA Clippers to be where they were.
Just prior to making their first trade, which saw Tobias Harris and Co. go to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Clippers were 30-25 — good for the Western Conference’s 8th seed. It was a place the team had been virtually all season long, which was especially impressive considering many pegged the Clippers as a mid-to-late lottery team in 2019.
Led mostly by the will of Lou Williams and the efforts of Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell, the LA Clippers instead looked like a team that was a piece or two away from being a legitimate contender to the NBA throne.