The Key to the Clippers' Success in the New Season Lies in This Backcourt Star's Performance_Darius Garland_Trade_Leonard

According to Yahoo Sports reporter Kelly Iko, the Los Angeles Clippers' optimistic expectations for the new season are mainly centered on whether Darius Garland can stay healthy and fully control the team's offense. The 26-year-old point guard has been dealing with a toe injury since he was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Clippers in February this year. Despite that, he still displayed outstanding efficiency in the 19 games he played, averaging 19.9 points and 6.4 assists per game for the team, helping the Clippers secure a spot in the play-in tournament.

Iko believes Garland's arrival will effectively improve the performance of other shooters on the team, especially Max Strus. Strus was Garland's teammate during his time with the Cavaliers and joined the Clippers last month through a five-team trade involving Peyton Watson. Their brief reunion could produce positive results. Meanwhile, Iko also mentioned that Garland may be able to help revive Gradey Dick's form. Dick was originally part of the Clippers' trade with the Toronto Raptors involving Kawhi Leonard. Although he showed good potential in the first two seasons of his career, his playing time dropped significantly last season and his overall statistics declined, raising questions about his future development.

In addition, Iko pointed out that if Brandon Ingram enters the starting lineup and replaces Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers' defensive level could decline significantly. He explained that this is also why the Clippers were eager to sign Rui Hachimura in free agency, in order to strengthen their roster against their city rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.