With last night’s 110-93 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Clippers are now 42-25 and have lost four of their last five games. Additionally, they are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have fallen to fourth in the Western Conference. Although the team is enjoying success overall, its recent struggles are notable. On February 6, the Clippers were one game ahead of three teams for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Since then, the Clippers are 8-10. In a post-match interview, head coach Tyron Lue spoke about the team that had to “play louder for 48 minutes“:
“We can definitely play harder for 48 minutes. It can’t last 32 minutes or it can’t last when you go down. That comes with a veteran team. They think we can turn it on, but these teams are young, they’re fast, they turn it on from the midfield, so we have to be able to keep up with the pace and we have to be able to match that.
Furthermore, Paul Georges was more direct, saying the team had no “identity.” Teammate Kawhi Leonard added that the team lost games due to a lack of effort, “we didn’t really give as much effort as we could have given.”
Los Angeles Clippers stars talk about their team’s struggles
What is the cause of the Los Angeles Clippers’ difficulties?
The easy answer is that the team is lacking Russell Westbrook. Westbrook played a vital role on the Clippers bench and was one of the favorites to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. On the season, Westbrook is averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. However, the 35-year-old injured his hand earlier this month and underwent surgery. Immediate reports suggested the team was hoping Westbrook would return before the end of the regular season. While that in itself is good news for the team, it’s clear the Clippers are struggling in his absence. Westbrook has not appeared in a game since March 1. During that span, the Clippers have played nine games and are 4-5 in those games.
Russell Westbrook’s impact on this Clippers team is highly underrated. It’s time to play him some serious minutes when he returns
Record with Russ: 35-13
Without Russ: 4-5 pic.twitter.com/JxBMQ2elvx-Beastbrook (@Beastbr00k0) March 18, 2024
Additionally, the Clippers have had a difficult schedule since the start of the month. Even though the rigor of the schedule hasn’t been too brutal, the Clippers have already played 10 games in the last 17 days. This, in addition to Westbrook’s absence, poses a difficult challenge for the team.
The Clippers will be fine
Virtually every NBA team will experience their share of ups and downs over the course of an eventful 82-game season. Although they have yet to officially clinch a playoff spot, the Clippers are well-positioned as the No. 4 seed. On paper, the Clippers have a very talented team with a championship-winning head coach. Despite their recent struggles, the Clippers are real title contenders this year. The Clippers are good enough to iron out the kinks heading into the playoffs with 15 games remaining. Only time will tell how quickly they can turn things around.
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