The latest Los Angeles Clippers defeat against their arch-rivals Los Angeles Lakers raised question marks over the franchise’s run for the championship. Their inability to protect a 21-point lead in front of the home crowd put forward the lackluster nature of their performance. Following the conclusion of the match, Stephen A Smith subsequently expressed his thoughts on the shortcomings of the organization.
During the recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, the sports analyst admitted to showcasing a stern concern for the Clippers, declaring,
“Yes. I do. Only from their standpoint of inability to protect the basketball. Being turnover-prone and not having an answer for the onslaught the Lakers threw at them. These are the kind of things that cost you championships”.
Soon after that, the 56-year-old put forward how the overall quality of the roster failed to ensure a win for the team. Despite having two former MVPs as their facilitators, the franchise was unsuccessful in protecting the ball from its opposition. Consequently, the spotlight shifted over to the ability of their talisman Kawhi Leonard as Smith raised question marks over his match-defining ability.
“I don’t believe that would have happened, if Paul George was on the basketball court with the rest of the crew…But it did alarm me that Kawhi Leonard was nowhere to be found in terms of providing an answer. That worried me and I said, ‘Wait a minute. Something is wrong with this picture right here,'” he mentioned.
Despite the seeming harshness making the headlines, the words contained an immense amount of gravity. After all, the Clippers became their worst enemy on the court during the fourth quarter while giving away uncontested turnovers at times.
On top of it, the defeat marked a major embarrassment for the franchise as they lost their last home game of the series against their home rival. Throughout the process, Leonard visibly struggled to hold the fort, paving the way for a forgettable outcome for the 2x champion.
Lou Williams agreed with Stephen A Smith
Lou Williams raised similar pointers upon witnessing the fourth-quarter collapse of his former organization. In the latest episode of Run It Back, the 37-year-old highlighted how the franchise succumbed due to complacency. He raised question marks over the leadership core of the team, siding with Smith on the matter.
“This is more about the Clippers losing…I think they allowed their offense to determine whether they were going to play defense or not…When you have a 21-point lead is kinda natural for you to kinda let up a little bit and lose some of your edge and I feel like once it starts snowballing, that’s the time for your leaders to step up…Nobody stepped up and did it,” the former NBA star mentioned.
The statements undoubtedly raise the pressure around the organization ahead of the playoffs. Following a remarkable turnaround since late last year, the Clippers once again struggle to find their rhythm. Amidst the uncertainties, the fans keep faith in their stars to find the solution as they hope for an improvement from last season.
