Last season, with no stars on the roster, the L.A, Clippers were a team that embodied an identity of ruthlessness, hard work, and mental toughness.
Adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the mix was supposed to be an easy transition, but it has been anything but that through their first season in L.A.
Strange comments and concerning on-court performances have been followed by questions about the state of the locker room, which seemed fractured at best, even before the Orlando restart.
Months later, and following their epic collapse in the Western Conference Semis, all those concerns about the Clips have been justified, as even the players themselves have acknowledged that something isn’t quite right about the makeup and chemistry of the team.
The newest report, though, may be the most concerning of all.
In a report by FOX’s Chris Broussard, some Clippers players have a problem with George getting special treatment and taking leadership of the group because some feel like they’re just as good (if not better) than him on the basketball court.
“I’ve heard that because of Paul George’s inconsistent play, it’s difficult for his teammates to put up with his platitudes. He had two 10 point games against Denver, a 9 and an 11 point game against Dallas, so they really don’t wanna hear him talkin’ about giving speeches in the locker room when they see a max player, former MVP candidate, perennial All-Star playing like that. So that is a problem, I’ve heard the same types of things.
I’ve also been told that some of the role-players on the team actually think they’re as good as Paul George. So they are having problems with the special treatment that he’s gotten from Doc Rivers. They can handle Kahwi getting the special treatment because, for the most part, he delivered, you know what you are getting from him. But Paul George was kind of up and down and I’m told some guys think they’re just as good as him so that is a problem.”
“I've been told some of the Clippers role players actually think they're as good as Paul George.” pic.twitter.com/JSMKS7wDcS
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) September 23, 2020
When the role-players believe they’re on the same level as the star player, it can be hard for them to take leadership and direction from him.
Earlier this month, it was reported that some players “rolled their eyes” when George delivered a post-game speech about loyalty and getting ready for another run.
No matter your personal opinion on Paul George, his inability to back up his words with action this postseason has really hindered the ability for him to lead this Clippers team. More importantly, it has created a tense situation in the locker room that will need to be worked out before the start of next season.
Unfortunately, the more time that passes, the more this team seems to be falling apart and it won’t be easy to pick up all the pieces.
