It wasn’t a great playoff season opener for the Dallas Mavericks as the LA Clippers beat them 97-109. The two have met twice in the past five years in the playoffs and LA has bested Dallas in both of them. Luka Doncic and Co. were sorely disappointed if they expected to take advantage of Kawhi Leonard’s absence. Clearly, the Clippers did just fine without their 2x Finals MVP on the court. And it seems like Paul George believes that it is something they can keep following with their Klaw missing.

Talking to the media after the win, George sat down to answer all the questions with his son in tow. The Clippers beat writer Tomer Azarly asked about the team’s confidence if they had to move forward without Kawhi Leonard, and PG’s answer was quite positive. “It’s not like we felt we weren’t gonna win because we didn’t have Kawhi. We still feel confident and comfortable regardless of who’s suiting up, who’s not suiting up,” he said.

“We know how great we can be. We’re greatly coached, got a great locker room. We have more than enough to hold it down until Kawhi comes back.” Looking at those eight games without Kawhi, LA had gone 4-4 and an average of 109.4 points per game. They are not bad numbers considering how it was closer to the end of the season and the team was trying to keep a hold on their playoff berth. But the Clippers averaged 112.5 points without Leonard if you consider the entire season while going 7-7. How about their numbers with their Klaw?

And with Kawhi Leonard on the teamsheet, the number rises by 3.8 points per game (116.3) this season. But then, the team’s record stood at 44-24. So, can the Big 4 minus 1 hold the fort in the 2x champion’s absence?

Are Paul George and his fellow superstars enough for LA to get out unharmed from the Luka-Kyrie partnership?

They should be, considering the numbers. But they are going against one of the best teams and duos out there. Not to mention, the Mavericks are looking to make the third-time-is-a-charm scenario true. If we were to take NBA insider Mark Medina’s words into account, then Kawhi is the most important player in the franchise to get them to a title.

“Kawhi Leonard sets the tone with his work ethic, his no-nonsense approach, and the fact that he shows that he’s just all about winning and nothing else,” he had said.

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But his staying healthy has been the greatest challenge for a team that has been looking for their first-ever ring. Although Leonard has played the best this season, with a career-best in minutes (34.3 minutes per game) and field goal percentage (52.5%), LA knows to always have the backup plan of a Kawhi-less group on the court.

And with the addition of James Harden, they now have a pretty talent-heavy squad on the roster. So, it’s only a matter of effective execution when they suit up. After all, they are all rowing towards the same goal – a championship!