Clipperholics
Fansided

LA Clippers: 3 things the team needs in the second half of the season

By Ryan Snellings

Feb 15, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general view of the Staples Center exterior prior to the NBA game between the Miami Heat and the LA Clippers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 15, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general view of the Staples Center exterior prior to the NBA game between the Miami Heat and the LA Clippers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 17: The LA Clippers huddle ahead of their game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on February 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 17: The LA Clippers huddle ahead of their game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on February 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) /

The LA Clippers sit at fourth place in the Western Conference but have the second-most wins in the league. While the first half of the year was met with more ups than downs, there are obviously things that the team can do to improve.

Everyone wants to look at the trade market and at buyout candidates. Is it possible that the team gets some help from one of those two areas? Absolutely. With so few trade assets, however, the return on these players may be minimal. Let’s look past that and at three things the current iteration of this team needs.

3. The LA Clippers (and fans) need patience

I’m going to sound like the Wizard of Oz a lot here.

The LA Clippers have everything they need. It’s just a matter of waiting for it to all come together. The old saying goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Expectations were always high for this team but let’s remember a couple of key points that are often overlooked, especially as the team drops multiple games.

  • This season started after the shortest offseason in NBA history.

Yes, everyone is dealing with that but it does matter. There’s a reason a lot of teams got off to shaky starts and are still figuring things out. It’s especially relevant with the latter two points.

  • The team has a brand new coaching staff

When your offseason is short and there isn’t a lot of time to practice, having a large amount of turnover does matter. Ty Lue is still learning this team. The team is still learning him. The latest evidence of this comes with the team’s poor clutch performances.

Are there issues? Absolutely. However, they are being worked on and the team is learning. In the final loss before the break, the Clippers again fell apart in the clutch versus the Wizards. The difference, however, was the quality of looks. Ty was extremely happy with the looks the team generated despite them not actually falling. That’s a trend in the right direction and something we should see more of over time.

It’s hard not to get frustrated with the process. It’s absolutely a necessity though and the team and us fans have to continually remind ourselves of that.

Home/Clippers News