Ty Lue on Kawhi, Paul George, Clippers Avoiding Injuries: 'Prayer… A Lot of Prayer'

Injuries are a major reason the Los Angeles Clippers have fallen short of their championship expectations since pairing Paul George and Kawhi Leonard together, and head coach Ty Lue has quite the strategy for the upcoming campaign.

"Prayer. … A lot of prayer," he said when asked how the 2023-24 season can be different for the team, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Los Angeles immediately shifted into championship-or-bust mode when it brought Leonard and George aboard ahead of the 2019-20 season, especially since Leonard was coming off a title with the Toronto Raptors.

Yet the furthest it has advanced in the playoffs with the pair is the Western Conference Finals in large part because of injuries.

Even those 2021 Western Conference Finals were not immune, as Leonard was sidelined with a torn ACL that forced him to miss the 2021-22 campaign. Had the two-time NBA Finals MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year been healthy, the Clippers could have defeated the Phoenix Suns.

George has never played more than 56 games in a season with the Clippers, while Leonard's high with the franchise is 57.

Perhaps the stars can finally stay healthy and compete in a Western Conference that is a race to dethrone the Denver Nuggets. If they don't, it will likely be another lost season for Los Angeles.