The Los Angeles Clippers continue to struggle. Just a little bit after Paul George said the team had “no identity,” head coach, Ty Lue is now calling out the squad. Lue called the Clippers “soft,” and added to the point of Los Angeles having no identity.
“So, identity for us, it’s got to be toughness,” Lue said. “Which means physicality, mental and physical
toughness, a high-powered offense — we can score in a lot of different ways — and we got to have a defensive mindset.“And so right now, do we have an identity? I think, yeah, we’re soft.”
James Harden also elaborated on the team’s struggles.
“We got to find our identity,” James Harden said. “Teams are scoring easy on us. Makes it difficult to score offensively.”
“It’s a little frustrating … I think we’re all trying to figure out what the hell is going on.”
The Clippers’ defense has taken a step back and it is starting to show in more ways than one. They have plenty of offensive firepower, but their lack of defense will certainly show if it is not rectified as soon as possible. With the playoffs around the corner, now is not the time for the Clippers to get lackadaisical, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
Head Coach, Ty Lue, Calls Out Los Angeles Clippers
The Current State of the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles is the fifth seed in the Western Conference at 44-27 as of March 26th . They have been leap-frogged by the red-hot New Orleans Pelicans. Considering they were a top-three seed for much of the year, they have certainly slipped in the standings. The Clippers now rank 16th in team defensive rating at 115.4, 23rd in team defensive rebounding percentage at 70.3 percent, and 18th in opponent field goal percentage at 63.5 percent.
With players such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers have certainly underachieved defensively as of late. Not to mention, they are still struggling to find an identity as Paul George pointed out not too long ago. While they have a great squad on paper with George, Leonard, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook, one could make the case they peaked too early this year. All in all, the Clippers need to get out of their current slump if they wish to contend in the playoffs. They still have plenty of talent and experience on their roster to challenge whoever they will match up with in the first round.
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