The Los Angeles Clippers are overrated

One of the biggest surprises of last season was the collapse of the LA Clippers in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. LAC was up 3-1 vs the Denver Nuggets but then collapsed over the next 3 games to see their season end much sooner than it should’ve.

Since then the drama has not stopped for the team. Coach Doc Rivers was fired and was replaced by Tyronn Lue, rumours about Paul George and Kawhi Leonard demanding special treatment surfaced, and they lost their best bench-player (Montrezl Harrell) to their arch-rivals, the LA Lakers.

At the start of last season, the Clippers were seen as a huge title contender. Kawhi Leonard was the reigning Finals MVP and Paul George had just had his best season ever, earning All-NBA 1st Team honours. 

Now the expectations for the Clippers have fallen sharply, and here are the reasons why.

Chemistry

One of the most decisive factors that determine who is successful in the NBA is team chemistry. Having everyone on the same page and focused on the single goal of winning an NBA title is very difficult, especially when egos are involved. Players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both want to be the ‘alpha’ of the Clippers and an internal struggle like this always trickles down to other players.

Reports of ‘special treatment’ for Kawhi and Paul George have also surfaced which detail how the Clippers treat their star players differently from the rest. This is a terrible way to run a team. Every player should be treated the same so that every player feels they are an equal part of the team.

Identity

Another huge issue facing the Clippers is their team identity. At the moment the team is just 12 individual guys on a roster instead of a cohesive unit. Due to all the chemistry problems and the current roster the Clippers have, the team isn’t structured to be successful going forward.

Look at the LA Lakers last season and it’s easy to see why the squad was a well-oiled machine; it had a well-defined leader in LeBron James, a clear number 2 in Anthony Davis, and a set of role players who each knew what their job on the court was.

We still don’t know who the leader on the floor is for the Clippers. Both Kawhi and Paul George have the talent and skill to be the number 1 guy, but neither has solidified that role for themselves. Logic points to Kawhi being the leader since he is considered to better than Paul George, but Kawhi has a strange personality that doesn’t exactly point towards him taking control.

Supporting Cast

Whilst Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both superstar players, the rest of the Clippers squad isn’t a good fit for them. Lou Williams is an amazing 6th man, but he is not the efficient shooter which LAC needs him to be. He only shot 41.8% from the field last season, along with 35.2% from the 3-point line.

LAC also lost Montrezl Harrell to their arch-rival; the LA Lakers and only managed to replace him with an ageing Serge Ibaka. Marcus Morris and Patrick Beverly are both decent players but aren’t the right guys the Clippers currently need.

Outside of Leonard and PG, no other Clipper can be described as a great shooter. Outside shooting is so critical for teams to succeed. It gives the floor-space for players like Kawhi and PG to play at their best. 

The Clippers will likely get a top-4 seed in the Western Conference this season, but don’t expect that to lead to anyone significant. The team does not have the right structure right now for it to be able to compete with a team like Lakers.