Los Angeles Clippers: Matt Barnes on Lob City being mentally weak

Former Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes spoke with Howard Beck on his time with the team and how the group was mentally weak.

Former Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes joined Bleacher Reports‘ Howard Beck to speak on the issue of marijuana, but he also brought up his time with the Lob City group.

Barnes brought up interesting takes about the use of the semi-illegal drug in the NBA. He even brought up players he formally played with in the City of Angels. However, the real interesting aspect here was him discussing his career.

Matt Begins to discuss his career about minute 38.00. A polarizing player, Matt entered the league as a journeyman and turned into a veteran, one of the hardest things to accomplish in the NBA. He had staying power because of his attitude and tenacity, which he brought to every game.

He elaborated on his time in the league, what it meant for him to be there and how he even said when he retired, “He wasn’t meant to be shit.”

Barnes played for nine different NBA teams, giving him a longer career than he probably should have had. He really loved and enjoyed his time with the Warriors organization calling it, “the best he ever played for.”

Barnes even mentioned that his children would ask why people booed him. He had to explain that it was because they did not like him. He explained to them he was like a wrestler, which helped calm their worries that their dad was a villain.

Lob City

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Regarding the Clippers and their failures, Barnes stated to Beck that the team was their own biggest enemy. They would fight on the court and have so much dysfunction they were not able to get over the hump.

"We got in our own way. That was most talented mentally weak team I’ve ever been on."

Barnes said that the beginning of the end was losing the Houston series, citing infighting between teammates as what kept the team from reaching their goal.

He mentioned briefly when playing against the Warriors and seeing their chemistry, that it was something the Clippers just couldn’t get a hold of in the playoffs.

"(We) Should have won a championship but didn’t because we were too much again each other and not against other teams."

Matt stopped short of naming the players specifically but explained how he was the one to “bridge the gaps”, keeping the team functioning and rolling.

That just leaves so much open for interpretation on which player he had to have talks with. Could it have been Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan?

When asked about his favorite teammates of all-time, he mentioned three current and former Clippers. Chris Paul was first, Jordan second, and lastly he mentioned J.J. Redick. He made a point of stating that he actually didn’t like Redick before he actually met him. He notably left out Blake Griffin from his favorite teammate list, but I guess not everyone can make that list.

In the end

Matt tried explaining why he was doing what he was doing to help keep the team focused. In the end, the team walked away without a ring and left the organization looking to the future. Matt believes that team under achieved and was too mentally weak to put it all together on the court.

The team peaked when they were up 3-1 on Houston. It took Houston sitting James Harden to make a historical comeback and knock off the Clippers. The LA Clippers were never the same after the series and would see pieces slowly leave or be traded away until now where only DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers remain.

The Clippers could not get out of their own way thus we experienced the downfall of Lob City.