The Los Angeles Clippers don’t look nearly as strong as they did a year ago at this time, though they are still firmly planted within the playoff hunt as we approach the halfway point in the regular season. Winners of just five of their last 11 games, the Clippers have struggled to find consistency — mostly on defense.
So what’s the problem?
According to what one person told NBA.com’s David Aldridge, the Clippers are lacking in the team chemistry department.
Is it personnel, or is it personal? Here’s the unvarnished opinion of someone who knows that team well: “They don’t like each other.” FWIW.
What does that mean? Very little, at this point. But it is something that is worth monitoring as the Clippers continue to look more like an above-average team than a championship contender.
Now that their incredibly racist owner has been removed from the building, many felt that the Clippers would adopt an even greater sense of family. Teams that are led by Doc Rivers (see: Celtics, Boston circa 2008) typically have great chemistry. It’s unclear why — or if — LA is lacking that quality.
It should be noted that Aldridge was just sharing one man’s opinion. It could be completely inaccurate, but Aldridge never would have printed it if he didn’t think there could be some level of truth behind it. We know that at least some of the Clippers players hang out together in their free time — even if it means getting into trouble. We’ll just have to stay tuned.
