Used to suffering by following their team until the beginning of the last decade, Clippers fans were treated to a moment of nostalgia that they would have gone well without this Sunday. By taking a historic rouste against Dallas, Paul George and his partners made history through the back door by offering a spectacle of distressing regularity.
If France experienced more or less violent thunderstorms last night, this is nothing compared to the typhoon which submerged the Staples Center between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Non-existent in all areas of the game, the Clippers were violently humiliated by the Mavs: +50 at halftime, and +51 at the end of the match! Yes, +50, all in 24 minutes of play. A defeat can happen, a match without also, but when you manage to establish a record of mediocrity never reached in nearly 70 years of history, it becomes indecent.
10-2, 25-5, 45-13, 62-18, 77-27 !
With the arrival of a new coach (Tyronn Read) having been able to lead the ego of the Horsemen of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in 2016 or the recruitment of serious and versatile veterans (Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka), we are entitled to expect a minimum competitive and combative Clippers team. Faced with the Mavs, the absences of Marcus Morris and especially of Kawhi Leonard have weakened the strength of Californians on both sides of the field. After two authoritative and satisfying first successes, Paul George was expected to take matters into his own hands and carry his squad with the support of teammates largely able to stand up to a still deprived Dallas. Kristaps Porzingis. Nay! After scoring the first two points of the game, the Los Angeles sailboats sank at breakneck speed, making the sinking of the Titanic seem like a routine accident.
The 10-2 conceded in less than 2.5 minutes from the start hurt a team that went through the game like a ghost from start to finish. Whether in defense or attack, Tyronn Lue’s men were eaten by Texans who were certainly very clever, but also well helped by a defense at bay which constantly left Luka Doncic attack them in the axis. Quickly put in confidence by this incredible start to the match, the Slovenian teammates then got in tune with the image of a Josh Richardson in total success. With smooth and straightforward play, Dallas didn’t even seem to strain his talent to kill the game in just ten minutes.
Catastrophic in all areas of the game
Not really famous for its concrete defense, the Texan franchise did not even need to deploy that much. The simple act of switching screens intelligently with envy and aggressiveness was enough to stem a completely apathetic opposing attack. From the start of the game, Paul George took virtually all of his team’s shots with little success, and team play was almost non-existent. Despite several down times and a bench wide open to find a spark, we never felt an ounce of reaction, which Ivica Zubac confirms in the columns of the LA Times.
“We let them play their game like it was a ride. We weren’t tough enough. We didn’t put pressure on them. We just let them do whatever they wanted, and they took in all their shots. »Ivica Zubac
With the exception of the 3rd quarter-time during which the Clippers appeared to regain some offensive efficiency (30 points), they were confined during the other three to only 16 points maximum. A heresy in the current NBA. It must be said that in view of the archaic ball movement leading to the setting up of chaotic systems, good shots were much too rare a commodity, resulting in particular in a terrible bludgeoning behind the arc (4/33 i.e. barely 12%).
Getting a volley of historic proportions in Game 3 of the season by offering infamous porridge throughout the length of a game isn’t trivial, but neither is it alarming. Kawhi Leonard and Marcus Morris absent, the roster having undergone a lot of modifications, the Clippers will undoubtedly know other complicated evenings until a balance is found. This is just one meeting among many others and we do not dramatize the Californian side, like Paul George who takes responsibility for this bitter failure at the microphone of ESPN.
“I take full responsibility for it. I took advantage of my Christmas day yesterday, today’s game just came a bit fast behind. I take full responsibility, I have to be ready to play. We’ll be ready for the next game. […] We got our butt kicked today, but you know it’s just a game. »Paul George
Tyronn Lue also spoke by pointing out the lack of aggressiveness of his team.
“We let this game slip away. The guys on both sides of the court weren’t combative tonight, and you could see it. […] It is simply an exception. It doesn’t take away from us what we’ve done so far, what we’re working on and how we’re trying to progress each night. We lacked fighting spirit, and we know that will come in the next game. »Tyronn Read
Optimism is therefore in order, and this is what is needed after such a bust. As of Wednesday, a good opportunity to react arises against Wolves deprived of Karl-Anthony Towns.
An essential collective balance to be developed
The squad to go for the title is there on paper, and the options are varied, probably even more than last season. But the margin in the NBA is still very fine. After having had the bitter experience in the Play-offs by being ejected by the well-oiled collective of the Nuggets, this meeting against Dallas still raises some questions about what was singled out last season: leadership.
This is why their next performance will be closely scrutinized, because they could count on the return of Kawhi Leonard to raise the bar. The latter must naturally restore order in the house by his level of play on both sides of the floor in order to forget as quickly as possible this historic slap. A loss like this can be insignificant in a season, but it can also be a trigger, both positively and negatively. The glue that made Doc Rivers’ Clippers a great story in 2019 gradually crumbled the following season, in large part because of the excessive freedoms given to George and Leonard. The two men have not always been irreproachable, management of the workforce and egos is undoubtedly the key to the success of the Clippers. The talent is there, but it must now be put to the service of the collective so as not to relive the disillusionment of last fall.
If the first internal feedback before this mishap were excellent, and experienced recruits like Nicolas Batum or Serge Ibaka certainly allow guys to be involved in all circumstances, we will have to find an alchemy to put everything the world at ease. Tyronn Lue has time to set up, and that’s good because there is work between a reshaped squad, and two superstars to fully involve.
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