Clippers coach Ty Lue: 'We can be special' if Kawhi Leonard, Paul George are healthy

The Los Angeles Clippers' season ended Friday night with a 105-101 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA play-in tournament.

While Los Angeles finished its disappointing regular season just above .500 with a 42-40 record, Clippers coach Ty Lue doesn't think many roster tweaks are necessary in the offseason. All the team needs, according to Lue, is for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to both make it through a year healthy.

"When you get Kawhi back, a top-five player — when you get [George] back, a perennial All-Star; this team changes tremendously," Lue said Friday at a postgame press conference. "We can be very different with those two guys back and healthy. ... We can be special."

Leonard, 30, hasn't played a game since suffering a knee injury during the 2021 Western Conference semifinals. The two-time NBA Finals MVP underwent offseason surgery and was unable to return at all during the 2021-22 season.

George, 31, missed more than 50 regular-season games due to an elbow injury and was forced to miss the Friday night game against the Pelicans after testing positive for COVID-19.

During the 2020-21 season, Leonard and George combined for more than 48 points, 10 assists and 13 rebounds per game.