With the Los Angeles Clippers down double digits in the third quarter to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, teammates Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac were seen getting into an argument. When asked about it after the game, Paul George tried to put a positive spin on it.
“That’s nothing to look into,” George said. “I mean, we should be frustrated. We’re not winning games and we’re trying to figure it out… At times a message has to be delivered and we got to figure out how to get over the hump, so that’s all it is. That’s healthy, that incident is healthy for us. I wouldn’t look too much into that.”
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Leonard was asked about this incident too, of course, but he wasn’t interested in talking about it.
“It’s team stuff, so not gonna talk about that,” Leonard said.
The argument might have helped just a little bit in the game. The Clippers went on a run after that incident and would even go on to take the lead at one stage in the fourth quarter. They weren’t able to hold on to it, though, and the Grizzlies won 105-101.
George finished the night with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals, but was just one of the few bright spots for L.A. Almost everyone else really struggled, as they suffered a fifth straight defeat to fall to 3-6. Frustrations are clearly rising, and it’s important that this group sticks together.
Kawhi Leonard Spoke On Roles Changing After The James Harden Trade
The Clippers are also now 0-4 with James Harden in the lineup and a lot of questions are being asked about the decision to trade for him. Leonard, who had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks against the Grizzlies, was asked about how roles have changed for many players after the move, and the 32-year-old had a blunt response.
“We went through a training camp knowing our roles,” Leonard said. “What spots we’re going to get to, what offense is being ran through, so losing those guys, you’re bringing two new guys, obviously a perennial All-Star with James, so it’s just different. On any given night, one of us are going to have to do that work, as well as the guys on the bench.”
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There are a lot of adjustments needed here and while you’d certainly have preferred for this trade to take place before training camp, they got the next best thing. The move for Harden was made early enough in the season, so there is time to figure things out.
Whether the situation can be figured out is a different story but I think it can be. One relatively obvious fix is to have Russell Westbrook come off the bench, as starting him and Harden is not going to work. We know Harden is not going to accept a bench role but Westbrook might, having done so for the Lakers last season.
James Harden Addressed The Clippers’ Struggles
Harden has the spotlight firmly on him with the Clippers struggling so much since his arrival. The 34-year-old had a very rough outing against the Grizzlies too, finishing with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. After the game, Harden was asked why the starting lineup had struggled so much since he arrived.
“That’s a good question,” Harden said. “It’s something we’re trying to figure out. If we knew the answer to that, then we could correct it.”
A reporter later asked who was the player keeping the group together during such tough times and Harden stated it was all of them.
“All of us, man,” Harden said. “We’re all in this together. It’s not just one person. We’re all trying to figure it out together. So, all got positive energy all trying to figure it out.”
It will indeed take a total team effort to figure things out and the Clippers need to stay together, or else this ship is going to sink in a hurry. They’ve got two tough games coming up against the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets, though, so more adversity does seem to be coming their way.
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