Kawhi Leonard: Clippers ‘not scared of nobody’ as playoffs near

The Clippers are sitting in the No. 8 spot in the West with nine games to go. Not ideal.

But not exactly a team anyone’s lining up to face, either.

Kawhi Leonard says the mindset is simple as the postseason approaches.

“This group likes to play basketball,” Leonard said, via The Athletic. “They love to have fun out there and compete. And we’re not scared of nobody, even if they’re more talented or the record’s better. We still want to go out and compete and try to have pride in playing and being competitive out there.”

The Clippers have won three straight (through Thursday) and are 6-4 in their past 10, showing signs of life at the right time.

The numbers suggest there’s something there.

They rank near the top of the league in efficiency, shooting 48.6% from the field with a 57.5% effective field goal percentage. Offensively, they’re middle of the pack. Defensively, they’ve been solid, allowing 112.5 points per game.

In other words, capable. Maybe even dangerous.

Leonard pointed to the team’s mix of youth and evolving roles as part of the late push.

“It’s a lot of young guys … stepping up,” he said. “You just got to tell them to enjoy the moment … just keep one foot in front of the other and just play and have fun.”

The Clippers still have work to do. But the belief is there, and come playoff time, that usually counts for something.