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LA Clippers: 5 lessons to learn from last year’s playoff failure

By Seth Kimbrell

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Signage at Staples Center on February 05, 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 05: Signage at Staples Center on February 05, 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) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to a play against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Staples Center on April 04, 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 Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 04: Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to a play against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Staples Center on April 04, 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 Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /

LA Clippers playoff lesson #4: Keep the right mindset

The LA Clippers absolutely need to keep themselves in the right mindset to make a deep playoff run. Last year, the Clips certainly seemed to buy into their own hype before they earned it, and it came back to bite them.

Add in chemistry issues and guys paying too much attention to what outside voices are saying, and the stage was set for the exact kind of collapse that we saw.

I’m not denying in the slightest that the narrative around the Clippers, especially Paul George, went far beyond the pale. This isn’t some criticism of PG letting constant personal attacks get to him. That would get to anybody.

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But the team was too ready to respond vocally to reporters who wrote critically about the Clippers. When it comes time to fight for a championship, those critiques don’t matter, and the Clippers have to keep blocking those out come postseason, like they have in the regular season.

Of course a Lakers writer is going to have some negative opinions on the Clippers. Of course somebody who covers the Suns is going to dig into all the reasons the Suns can beat the Clips in a seven game series. That’s all just noise, and it needs to be treated as such.

In addition, the chemistry has to keep at the level it is at now. Last year we saw explosions and arguments on the bench, including the famous one in which Montrezl Harrell went after PG in the huddle.

Again, on any team, there’s going to be disagreements and spats. Last year showed us that the team needs to be able to get past those and continue to trust each other on the basketball court. If they can do that, I foresee a deep playoff run.

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