Account
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard, Paul George Worked on Chemistry Amid NBA Hiatus
August 16, 2020
Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George said he and co-star Kawhi Leonard worked to improve their chemistry during the league's suspension amid the COVID-19 pandemic, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
"I went down to where he was at [near San Diego], he came to where I was at [near Los Angeles]. We spent time together—the whole group did, not just me and him—on occasions. The whole group kind of spent time together through the hiatus.
"I think we made up a lot of time. While not being together, I think we made all that back up during this hiatus. It kind of expedited this process being here."
Leonard and George arrived in L.A. from Toronto and Oklahoma City, respectively, last offseason.
The Clips finished second in the Western Conference with a 49-23 record despite a litany of injuries and load management days that prevented them from enjoying a consistent rotation for much of the year.
They will face the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs beginning Monday at 9 p.m. ET.
George expanded upon his chemistry comments later in the interview.
"We spent a lot of time out of the bubble. I visited him, he visited me. We spent time in the bubble. For us, it's just more and more being together, learning each other, figuring each other out. The more we're together, the more and the better the chemistry gets.
"For us, guys like the ball in different places, they like to play a certain way. It's just getting an understanding of where he likes the ball in his space and surrounding him. Vice-versa. That's all it really comes down to."
Leonard and George have only been on the court together for 37 games and 890 minutes, per NBA.com, although they have excelled during that stretch with a 13.2 net rating.
Game 1 of their series with the Mavs can be seen on ESPN. The winner of the seven-game series will play the Utah Jazz or Denver Nuggets in Round 2.