The Clippers are falling apart on the court right now, with the James Harden trade looking like a really poor decision right now. As the Clippers were trailing the Grizzlies by 13 points towards the end of the third quarter, a visibly frustrated Kawhi Leonard ignored a timeout, first arguing with center Ivica Zubac on the court and carrying that conversation to the bench.
“Kawhi Leonard is growing increasingly frustrated out there and took a while to come back to the bench following the timeout. Leonard and Ivica Zubac had an interaction on the floor and then on the bench, both pointing to places.”
Kawhi Leonard is growing increasingly frustrated out there and took a while to come back to the bench following the timeout. Leonard and Ivica Zubac had an interaction on the floor and then on the bench, both pointing to places. | 2:55 Q3 | Grizzlies 77, Clippers 64
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) November 12, 2023
Who said what is unclear, but people who were watching the game would’ve seen Russell Westbrook console Zubac by giving him a tap to the head as a sign of support. Kawhi rarely gets frustrated enough to admonish teammates during a game, so Zubac either made a big mistake on the court that prompted Kawhi to talk to him about it, or Kawhi was just so frustrated with the game that he lost it at Zubac.
This was the Clippers’ fifth loss in a row and their fourth since acquiring James Harden. The bigger issue is that the loss came against the Grizzlies, who were 1-8 heading into this game. Despite their poor season, the Grizz walked out with this win 105-101 despite playing in LA.
Paul George Reacts To Kawhi’s Frustrations
Paul George was directly asked about the incident between Kawhi and Zubac after the game and had a very positive outlook on their argument.
“That goes with anything, that’s nothing to look into… We should be frustrated. We’re not winning games and we’re trying to figure out, and at times — we’re all brothers in this locker room, and 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.”
Teams need to have open conversations with each other to make sure everybody is on the same page. If there was a disconnect between Kawhi and Zubac, they should address it on the court. Given the Clippers had to fight back in the fourth, it was clear that the team found some fight later in the game.
The Clippers Big Four Continues To Disappoint
During this game, Paul George was the only one of the Clippers stars who had a game-changing impact. His 26 points were crucial for the Clippers to keep pace with the Grizzlies, even though the Grizz didn’t have a polished offense tonight. Norman Powell came off the bench to give them 20 points, but the other three stars on the Clippers were bad.
Kawhi could manage just 14 points while Russell Westbrook had 12 points. James Harden has been atrocious to begin his tenure in LA, only notching 11 points tonight and missing various clutch shots with full airballs. He hasn’t even been a starter-caliber player since joining the Clippers, let alone the reputation of being a former MVP.
Tyronn Lue will want to turn this ship around ASAP, as the West is so competitive that a stretch like this could put the Clippers in a hole they can’t recover from.
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