Trouble begins to soar as the Clippers take a loss in South Beach

Following their match-up against Orlando, the LA Clippers could not pull away with the victory on the second night of a back-to-back. Though head coach Tyronn Lue was missing some of his best pieces, this was yet another game the Clippers should have won.

From start to finish, the Clippers played surprisingly well offensively. Despite turning the ball over 16 times, the team shot 46.3% from the field, 47.2% from a distance, and 90.5% from the strike. Lue and his squad lost the game on the other end.

Furthermore, the Heat’s game plan was to expose the mismatch, and they followed through. Four of their five starters combined for 93 of their 115 total points. This shows that defensively, the LA Clippers had no answer.

With franchise superstar Kawhi Leonard missing the contest, his co-star Paul George dominated but received little help from his teammates. George was on triple-double watch as he closed the night with 29 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 10-20 shooting. However, only three other players scored in double figures.

The LA Clippers’ depth has yet to come to light.

Twenty-seven games into the season, the LA Clippers’ depth has failed to meet the expectations. Although the team may be battling with injuries, other players must step up if they want to see success. This has been an issue all year that is not finding its way into the spotlight.

That said, one player who has been struggling lately is the three-level scoring wing, Marcus Morris. After a hot start to the year, Morris has had his foot on the break over the last few contests. These miscues did not change against the Heat, as he finished the game with 11 points on 4-10 shooting. He will have to step up in times like this, especially when Lue is without several key players.

In addition, sharpshooting studs Luke Kennard and Robert Covington deserve many more opportunities. Along with the two-way wing Nicolas Batum, Covington and Kennard possess the tools needed to propel the Clippers on both ends. There should be no reason why Covington is only playing seven minutes in a game where the team is struggling defensively.

Moreover, the LA Clippers close their road trip with a match-up against the Washington Wizards. While Lue may be short-handed, the coaching staff must find a way to win this game to snap the two-game losing streak.