Problems facing the LA Clippers #1: Health
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Most, if not all of the LA Clippers’ can be solved if they are healthy. Go back to problem #3. If the Clippers were healthy, they would not be nearly as fatigued.
On Tuesday, the Clippers played just eight players with five of their regular rotation pieces (George, Beverley, Ibaka, Morris, and Zubac) missing the game. If that’s happening, then of course your other players are going to get worn down.
In the Denver loss, Ivica Zubac came out late in the fourth quarter despite having played amazingly. He was just tired and the team had no true backup big to spell him. Kawhi Leonard also started to look exhausted in the fourth quarter after carrying the team in the third.
In the last slide, I also mentioned that getting Rondo and Ibaka back would change the offense up. Getting Pat Bev back also obviously improves this team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Morris coming back gives the team more scoring in the offensive lineup. Ibaka offers another big body and someone who can space the court.
Then, we have Paul George.
After last night’s game, PG revealed that his foot injury is something that could persist all season and he might just have to deal with it.
"It's just figuring it out. It's really no pop on the right foot. I can't really bend my toe & have it flexing all the way on that second toe. I gotta figure it out. If i can play, & play with minimal pain, that's what I'm going for. We gotta figure it out tho.”
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 2, 2021
- Paul George. pic.twitter.com/7R3XzIFHM7
There’s no real answer as to how the team should handle this. On one hand, getting George healthy seems like a necessity but losing him for a large amount of time could disrupt the building of chemistry for the roster.
Getting healthy is going to be the key for this team. If they aren’t able to get all (or at least a majority) of their guys back in the coming weeks, building that chemistry and rapport prior to the start of the playoffs is going to be difficult. If they are able to, however, they absolutely have the talent to make a deep run.
The LA Clippers have three very real problems facing them right now but none are unfixable at this point in the season. We just have to keep trusting the process and hope that the team can begin to figure things out as we inch closer to the postseason.