In the wake of an electric win blowout this Friday, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving offered some valuable insight into the state of the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite struggling in the aftermath of the James Harden trade, Irving insisted that it’s too early to give up on the Clippers and that they will get their act together before it’s all said and done.
“Right now they’re going through those ups and downs in the public forum where they are getting criticized for not winning games even tho they’re as great as anyone in the league. They’ll be a great team,” said Irving.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a team perform below expectations, and it certainly will not be the last. In this case, the Clippers still have plenty of time to find a solution to their problems and history tells us that they have enough talent to keep up with the other Western Conference elites. Of course, as a former member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets, Irving knows more than anyone what kind of complications can arise when a superteam is formed.
Are Superteams A Dying Trend In the NBA?
As bad as the Clippers have looked with their new big four, they aren’t the only top-heavy team struggling this season. In Phoenix, the Suns have been shockingly mediocre in the aftermath of the Bradley Beal trade. With their stars in and out of the lineup, the Suns haven’t been whole all season and it remains to be seen if their core guys can stay healthy for any long stretch of time. Meanwhile, in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks are also looking lost after their big acquisition. Since trading for Damian Lillard this summer, their defense has collapsed and they don’t look like nearly the same threat.
Long story short, the NBA could be moving to an age where a team like the Clippers just doesn’t work anymore. As we are seeing with teams like the Nuggets, 76ers, and Golden State Warriors, team-oriented basketball built around one superstar seems to be the winning strategy right now. And while Kyrie Irving is enjoying a hot start with Luka Doncic this season, his previous attempt at building a dynasty in Brooklyn ended in the ugliest way possible.
Clippers Have Work To Do
With a game against the 1-8 Grizzlies tomorrow, it will be a good opportunity for the Clippers to end this losing streak and start to develop their chemistry. With James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, there is no doubt that the Clippers have enough talent to climb back up the Western standings but they still need to learn how to play together if they want any hope of making a meaningful run.
Currently, the biggest problem for the Clippers is their lack of cohesion on offense. Since Harden’s arrival, the Clippers have looked stagnant and divided on the court and it’s led to players being completely shut out of the offense for long stretches of time. Additionally, the losses of Robert Covington and Nic Batum really hurt the Clippers, who have long taken pride in being one of the deepest teams in the league. Now, the Clippers are going to have to dig deep into their rotation to find that depth, and Harden just hasn’t been enough to make up the difference so far.
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