The LA Clippers realize that they have to be mentally tough after last year’s loss.
When the LA Clippers lost last year’s playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, everyone began to question their makeup. There were “Playoff P” jokes, people mocking Patrick Beverley for his “the next five years are mine” quote, and more. Needless to say, none of that set well with the team.
Patrick Beverley verbalized that today during media availabiity.
"Guys are pissed off…which is good."
The whole team realizes that their mental toughness wasn’t where it should be. Granted, the team did break down in the bubble, something unprecedented in the history of the league. Other team’s also faltered and many players, inluding Paul George who noted that he had a hard time living in the bubble.
Hopefully the bubble won’t be a factor this season. Even so, the team knows they need to be tougher than last season.
"When you talk about blowing a 3-1 lead it all involves mental toughness."
They also learned a lot from the loss. Players have been verbalizing that all week. Don’t confuse that with dwelling on the past, though.
"We have motivation now and now is what matters. We can’t really look at the past… We have our goals. We set our goals high and it’s up to us to go out there and make sure we hit them."
Head coach Tyronn Lue, who was an assistant with the team this past season, doesn’t think it’s just mental toughness that is the issue.
"More so confidence than mental toughness…We have to be able to adapt and play in the environment we are in."
The whole group has been echoing a mixture of those thoughts this week. Of course, it’s what we expected to hear but it’s still nice to know that the team has the right mindset. Maybe that loss is exactly what this group needed.
It will sit with them throughout the season and should be a constant reminder of how easily the season can end. Beverley on how long the loss stuck with him:
"I don’t know. I don’t think it went away."
Let’s hope that feeling of the loss doesn’t and that the LA Clippers use it to motivate them the right way.