After being called favorites throughout the entire season, the LA Clippers flopped during the playoffs. They choked a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets and crashed out of the Conference Semifinals.
Recently, former Clippers star Baron Davis talked about why the Clippers failed on the Load Management podcast.
He said, “They never really got the chance to develop chemistry. I thought the Clippers had a dope team. They were so not familiar with each other. Their games were so uncomplimentary to each other. Like somebody needs to be the glue right and somebody needs to take the lead. And the Clippers had none of that.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Both coach Doc Rivers and star Paul George also complained about a lack of chemistry. George suffered injuries at the start of the season, and throughout the season, Kawhi Leonard dealt with load management. Later, in the bubble, both Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell missed a few games, leading to a lack of harmony.
ALSO READ – NBA Trade Rumors: Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Reportedly Steps Up to Lock-in Chris Paul
Davis says Clippers lacked identity
During their seeding game vs the Blazers, Patrick Beverley was mocking Damian Lillard while sitting on the bench. The Blazers star missed crucial free throws and ended up losing because of it. Beverley also took this to social media later when he commented “Cancun on 3” on a post.
Davis was left unimpressed by this behavior. He said, “So when you see them behaving the way they did on the bench, there was no real identity. They weren’t professional; they were cocky. So there wasn’t anything they were building towards that made sense.”
Later, Davis also spoke about how the Clippers lacked “brains”, unlike the Lakers who had three, in Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Rajon Rondo. “The games were going to become a lot harder because you don’t have one brain or two brains to think through it,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Heading into the new season, the Clippers have a new coach in Ty Lue. They will also have to get a replacement for the Sixth Man of the Year winner, Harrell. It is going to get tougher for them in the upcoming season, and Kawhi and PG will have a lot more responsibility now.
ALSO READ – “That Just Can’t Happen”: Former LA Clippers Coach Details Ty Lue’s Immediate Priorities for Next NBA Season
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad