The last time the Utah Jazz faced the Los Angeles Clippers, it didn't go too well for the latter. Things got so grim for the Clippers that some had already written the obituary on the Kawhi Leonard era. Well, last night, the Clippers made it clear that the rumors about their death were greatly exaggerated. In so doing, they also confirmed they won't get in the way of the Jazz's tank.
It all makes sense because, unlike the Jazz, one way or the other, their pick is going to Oklahoma City. Hence, they have every reason to salvage their season if the opportunity presented itself. The team is definitely not out of the woods, but compared to a month ago, or more specifically, like a week ago, they are in a much better place.
As it turns out, Kawhi still has some good basketball left in his game, as he has been on an absolute tear lately. They say correlation doesn't always mean causation, but not one soul thinks Kawhi's play has not factored into why the Clippers are winners of six straight.
KAWHI LEONARD'S LAST 6 GAMES:
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 2, 2026
45 PTS 7 REB 3 AST 2 STL 2 BLK
33 PTS 5 REB 5 AST 3 STL 1 BLK
55 PTS 11 REB 2 AST 5 STL 3 BLK
28 PTS 8 REB 6 AST 3 STL 1 BLK
41 PTS 8 REB 5 AST
32 PTS 12 REB 3 AST 3 STL 2 BLK
BRO...... HE'S GOING CRAZY pic.twitter.com/LS8zZxWu39
So, until and unless things start to go awry for the Clippers again, they should finish ahead of the Jazz this season no matter where they finish, which should play well into their tanking aspirations. It's still not clear if that's what they are going for, but Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George not playing certainly sounds like that's what they are doing.
As long as Kawhi is injury-free, Utah should feel safe
As it turns out, yes, Kawhi Leonard is still an excellent player, and yes, the Clippers are a force to be reckoned with when he's on the floor. It might be wishful thinking at this point to put them in the same conversation as the NBA's best teams, but it has now become a possibility again that they could return to the playoffs. That is, as long as Leonard doesn't get hurt.
That's also kind of the problem and has been a problem that's only gotten worse ever since Leonard signed with the Clippers in 2019. Their title hopes hinged on his health, and he has more often than not let them down. As the team has declined, they've gone from title hopes to playoff hopes with Leonard.
Hence, while having him play will guarantee that the Clippers are better than the Jazz, his health does not guarantee he'll be able to play, which very much puts their place in the NBA up in the air. For the Jazz to ensure the tank, Kawhi will have to stay healthy, which just sounds... odd.