The Clippers did not play great basketball for the past month.
The team has lost 5 out of the last 7 games and have been at the end of two disappointing 30-point blows against bottom-line teams in the last 7 games. Kawhi Leonard is not happy with this level of consistency from the Clippers.
Leonard was one of the only clear spots for the Clippers in their embarrassing explosion against the New Orleans Pelicans. He posted: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 assists, on 9/13 FG. Despite his good play, the Clippers played no defense. As a team, the Pelicans fired 65% from the field, 46% from three, and 81% from the free throw line, on 38 assists.
“We mostly knew they were a paint team,” Leonard said. “It’s just about getting back up. I didn’t feel like we got back during an early move and it led to layups and dunks. I guess our minds weren’t there.”
The Clippers don’t have much time to recover from this bad game. They will face the Dallas Mavericks team that won 11 out of 14 games, in backup, tomorrow. To make matters worse, the Clippers may be without both Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley. The last time the Clippers faced the Mavericks, they lost by 51 points, and that was when the Mavericks also struggled.
“If we play like this tomorrow, it will be a loss of another 50 points,” head coach Ty Lue said.
It’s hard to tell what’s in the narrative around the Clipper team. At the start of the season, it was all about their members ’movement and an amazing three-point shootout. Throughout the season, it was about how good they were when both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have played. They are 2-3 in the last five when the two have played, so what now? They have a chance to change that story again tomorrow, as they take on a red-hot Mavericks team. It’s a game the Clippers should have extra pride in.
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